A Portrait of Green School Culture at Commodore
Commodore to College--100% for 100%
About Us:
At Commodore John Rodgers, we repeatedly say that we are moving students from Commodore to College--100% for 100%. That's our slogan and everyone knows it. It adorns classroom walls, pencils, notebooks, reward armbands, and uniform shirts. It is the mantra for students and staff. But in order for this slogan to become reality, our students need become successful college students. They must have an understanding of the world around them and how they fit into it. Through living out our green school initiatives, students are able to gain this understanding that is deeper than content knowledge.
At Commodore, as we incorporate environmental education into our curriculum, clubs and advisories, students at Commodore are learning to be responsible citizens. As we teach academic content, we strive to help our students become informed community members. One way that we do this is by learning in and about our local environment. You will see that at each grade level, there are multiple opportunities for students to interact with and learn about the environment. You will see that we have many groups of students working to make the environment in and outside of Commodore a healthy place to live and work. You will see that our students are learning and practicing being sustainable in big and small ways.
At Commodore we want to create students who are not only academically competitive, but also have characters that employers and colleges are seeking. One of the ways that we work on character development school-wide is by teaching, modeling and recognizing our Five Promises--Commitment to Quality, Honor and Integrity, Perseverance, Gratitude and Contribution. Though we can tie all these Promises to environmental education and our green school actions, Contribution is highlighted here. As students consider how their actions contribute to the school, community and environment, we are equipping them to make responsible decisions.
At Commodore, as we incorporate environmental education into our curriculum, clubs and advisories, students at Commodore are learning to be responsible citizens. As we teach academic content, we strive to help our students become informed community members. One way that we do this is by learning in and about our local environment. You will see that at each grade level, there are multiple opportunities for students to interact with and learn about the environment. You will see that we have many groups of students working to make the environment in and outside of Commodore a healthy place to live and work. You will see that our students are learning and practicing being sustainable in big and small ways.
At Commodore we want to create students who are not only academically competitive, but also have characters that employers and colleges are seeking. One of the ways that we work on character development school-wide is by teaching, modeling and recognizing our Five Promises--Commitment to Quality, Honor and Integrity, Perseverance, Gratitude and Contribution. Though we can tie all these Promises to environmental education and our green school actions, Contribution is highlighted here. As students consider how their actions contribute to the school, community and environment, we are equipping them to make responsible decisions.
Watch the end-of-year video from the Green Team below!
News flash: Commodore John Rodgers' Green Team Update - May 2017.
News flash: Commodore John Rodgers' Green Team Update - May 2017.
Brief Bullet List of Top 5 Accomplishments
1. Recycling and Reusing materials is part of the culture at Commodore John Rodgers. Walk into every classroom and you will see recycling bins, full of single-stream recycling materials that belong within each bin. You will also see nearly every student using reused writing journals and reclaimed pencils that have been passed down from year to year. Various student groups are in charge of collection, these groups include students in grade levels 5th-8th. Yet, the education of why recycling and reusing are important can be found in every grade level from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th.
2. Students at Commodore John Rodgers proactively seek out ways to improve their lives by making green and healthy life choices. From participating in groups like the running club, the green team and volunteering with Healthy Harvest students are making positive changes in their lives and influencing others in their community to do the same!
3. Throughout the past five years of having a green school designation Commodore has been able to make some amazing partnerships with local organizations such as; The Maryland Science Center, The National Aquarium of Baltimore, Audubon: Patterson Park, Healthy Harbor, The Waterfront Partnership, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, NorthBay Adventure Camp, Outward Bound, Blue Water Baltimore, Hungry Harvest, C.A.R.E. community, as well as others. All of these partnerships have strengthened our commitment to the honor of being designated a Green School as well as help to enrich the experience of being part of a Green School to all of our students.
4. Sustainability has been a common theme, that has run throughout Commodore John Rodgers, during our years of being designated a Green School. From turning our garden into an Audubon approved bird-friendly habitat with all native plants to helping to keep the rain gardens that are found around our school clean of waste and weeds, Commodore loves to promote sustainable best practices!