Manor Elementary School is “Growing Green”

At Manor Elementary School in Levittown, a student-driven initiative is taking root; one that is not only transforming the school grounds, but also shaping how students think about sustainability, service, and hands-on learning. The school’s Green Team, led by co-coordinators Katie Jones and Lauren Jacoby, with the help of several teachers and support staff members, has spent the past three years building a program that continues to expand in both scope and impact. Now, with a newly awarded grant to fund a greenhouse, the group is entering an exciting new chapter.

“I wanted to share some exciting work happening at our elementary school through our student-led Green Team,” said Jones. “Over the past year, our Green Team has been focused on beautifying our school grounds and creating meaningful outdoor learning spaces for students.”

The Green Team was formed following an initiative from the Pennsbury School District superintendent to establish a green team at every elementary school in the district. Manor embraced the idea, launching its program three years ago and allowing students to take the lead from the very beginning.

“We took that on and have been letting the students guide us in the direction they want to go,” Jones explained. “This is the third year of the Green Team and we have been working on little projects each year and building as we go.”

The team, open to fourth and fifth graders, has grown rapidly in popularity. Currently, about 40 students participate, with many eager to participate. Monthly meetings are held before school, where students brainstorm and decide on projects that align with their environmental goals.

One of the earliest and most impactful initiatives was the launch of a school-wide composting program, an effort that has significantly reduced waste.

“We have been working with Gary Sanderson, a volunteer and former school board member, who came to us about initiating a composting program in the cafeteria,” Jones said. “When it came to the composting program, we told the students that was something we were going to be working on, and they decided how to communicate that project with the rest of the school.”

Students chose to create an educational video demonstrating how to properly sort compostable materials. They also designed signage for the cafeteria and helped teach their peers the process.

“The kids made the materials and signs that they needed in the cafeteria,” Jones said. “This composting program would not have been possible without the help of our custodial staff and the buy-in from the aides and people who work in the cafeteria.”

The results have been significant. “A custodian told me that the amount of trash we are throwing out each day has been cut down by about 75 percent,” Jones noted.

In addition to composting food waste, the school transitioned to compostable lunch trays and utensils, further reducing landfill contributions. The school also partnered with Kona Composting, which collects the materials weekly and processes them offsite.

“The kids also learned how to recycle different materials that were brought in, so the amount of trash going into the landfill has become very minimal,” Jones added.

Beyond waste reduction, the Green Team has worked to improve the school’s physical environment. Students took the lead in revitalizing garden areas at the front of the building, including planting, mulching, and selecting greenery.

“The kids then decided they wanted to beautify the front of the school,” said Jones. “They helped with the garden where the flagpole is, they mulched it and came up with plants they wanted to put in the garden.”

Another major focus has been the development of outdoor learning spaces. What was once an underused area has been transformed into a functional classroom, thanks in part to the addition of sun sails, recently purchased, that provide shade.

“Before we purchased the sun sails, we weren’t able to use that space as much because it was in a very sunny area, but now it’s nice and shaded,” Jones explained.

The space, which includes an octagonal structure originally built as an Eagle Scout project, is now being incorporated into daily learning. Nearby, a patio equipped with tables and umbrellas, purchased by the school’s PTO, offers additional room for instruction.

Still, Jones emphasizes that this outdoor classroom is a work in progress.

“So we have the barebones of the outdoor classroom, but it’s a work in progress,” she said. “We have the space, we have the tables, the umbrellas, and we are working toward purchasing the materials teachers will need to use in that outdoor space.”

Plans include portable whiteboards, teaching stations, and a variety of STEM-focused tools such as microscopes, all designed to enhance hands-on learning.

“I think that anytime a student can engage in hands-on learning they will be more engaged and will have more real-world experiences as opposed to just learning from a textbook,” Jones said.

The most recent, and perhaps most exciting, development is the Green Team’s greenhouse project, made possible through a grant awarded last month by the Pennsbury Education Foundation, along with support from the school’s Student Council and Green Team fundraising efforts.

“We recently found out that we got this grant for the greenhouse project,” Jones said. “So we will be meeting with the Green Team and the Student Council to discuss how to proceed with this.”

The proposed greenhouse, measuring approximately 10 by 20 feet, will be located near Jones’ SPARK classroom, where she teaches students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and adjacent to the outdoor learning area.

“We are looking to purchase a ten-foot by 20-foot greenhouse that will be housed outside of the SPARK room,” Jones explained. “So it could be used schoolwide, and we want to grow things there for the school’s food pantry.

The greenhouse will allow students to grow herbs, fruits, and vegetables, though final decisions about what to plant will be made collaboratively by the Green Team and Student Council.

A key component of the project is its connection to the school’s food pantry, which supports local families.

“They want to work with Manor’s food pantry so the pantry can have access to some fresh food,” Jones said. 

For Jones, the greenhouse represents more than just an educational tool; it’s an opportunity for students to see the direct impact of their efforts.

“I think that with the greenhouse, knowing that what students are growing is serving an important purpose like helping those in need, adds a very valuable experience to these kids and will help them feel empowered,” she said. “Also, anytime students can participate in hands-on outdoor learning, they feel more engaged, participating in real-world experiences as opposed to just learning from a textbook.”