Students hold recycling drive

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers STUDENTS RECYCLE IN FUNDRAISING EFFORT-Acacia Elementary School Learning Center students are recycling cans, plastic and glass to raise money to purchase books for the school's library. Helping the kids are principal Jean Gordon, left; Bret Daley, the Cal Lutheran University student coordinator; and Acacia resource specialist Hilary Matthew. Helping to preserve Earth's resources is contributing to the self-esteem of special education students at Acacia Elementary School and teaching them practical skills as well.

That's according to substitute teacher Bret Daley.

Daley, who's in the master's degree teaching program at Cal Lutheran University, approached the students for his class project, which emphasizes empowering them through a servicelearning venture. He started the ball rolling by discussing with the students what St. Patrick's Day made them think of. He then let the children take over.

The conversation turned to the color green and then to recycling programs. From there the "It's Not Easy Being Green Drive" was born. It began last Monday and ends tomorrow, March 24.

"They've taken total ownership and control of this," Daley said. "The special education students, they're really the ones who're moving this along. I'm so proud of them."

The firstthrough fifth-grade students will collect, count and keep track of all the recycling items brought to the school during the week. On the final day, tomorrow, they'll take the items to a nearby recycling center and then donate the proceeds to the school's library for books.

Daley said operating a recycling project teaches the students real-world survival skills by engaging in activities most people take for granted, such as earning and counting money.

And since the children came up with the idea, it'll boost their self-esteem, he said. To advertise the recycling drive, the students made posters and hung them in every classroom after giving a presentation to each class. One fifth-grader with Down syndrome, who's normally reluctant to speak in front of the class, was excited to give her classroom presentation, he said.

"They deserve a shot at what I call a day in the sun-a day of r e c o g n i t i o n , " Daley said.

Acacia Principal Jean Gordon said the whole school is rallying behind the recycling drive.

"(The general education students) are very involved with the project and very supportive," she said.

Word of the school's enthusiastic response reached Daley's professor, who then had him give a presentation about the drive to the university class.

"It's taken on a life of its own," Daley said.