Cover page
Overview
Snow Hill Middle School, part of the Worcester County School System, is a rural school located in Snow Hill, Maryland. The school includes grades four through eight. Grades four and five function as an elementary school while grades six, seven and eight function as a middle school. The school has approximately 370 students, 40 teachers, 3 educational assistants, and 3 administrators. Snow Hill Middle School and its students have received accolades over the past several years for their achievement in academics as well as made changes to make their school more environmentally friendly
The school has created several initiatives to improve the green culture at the school. One of the biggest changes has been reducing the amount of electricity used. The Board of Education issued a challenge two years ago to reduce electricity. Snow Hill MS has reduced its overall electricity usage by approximately 10% in that time period. The school has also encouraged its teachers to participate in professional development focused on the environment. The Board of Education has offered several ongoing professional development opportunities. Snow Hill MS consistently has between 5-10 teachers participate in these activities which occur on Saturdays and during the summer break. Finally, the school is in the midst of implementing an Integrated Health Literacy Program. The program currently exists in grades four, five and six and will be implemented in grades seven and eight over the next two years. This program focuses on a variety of topics including exercise, nutrition, and overall healthy living.
Snow Hill MS believes that field experiences are an important part of the learning process. Currently, four of the five grades have outdoor field trips that offer structured environmental lessons. All fifth graders spend two days at the Pocomoke River State Park where they learn about the local environment and its effect on the Chesapeake Bay. Sixth graders travel to Assateague State Park where they spend three days completing a unit titled "Shipwrecked!". The activities they participate in are focused on the premise that they were aboard a ship that crashed off the coast of Assateague in the 1700s. The seventh graders collaborate with the National Aquarium and plant Atlantic White Cedars at the Nassawango Nature Conservancy. This experience is part of their service learning project. Finally, eighth graders participate in two different experiences. The first is part of their service learning project and involves planting trees to restore a local critical stream. The other focuses on Furnacetown and the effect that the iron furnace had on the environment in the past, present and future.
In conclusion, Snow Hill Middle School has worked hard to make environmental education an important component of the school culture. As we move into the future, environmental awareness will continue to be a priority for the school. Students and staff will continue to look for innovative ways to save electricity, the integrated health unit will expand to include grades seven and eight, and the fourth grade will implement an outdoor environmental experience.
The school has created several initiatives to improve the green culture at the school. One of the biggest changes has been reducing the amount of electricity used. The Board of Education issued a challenge two years ago to reduce electricity. Snow Hill MS has reduced its overall electricity usage by approximately 10% in that time period. The school has also encouraged its teachers to participate in professional development focused on the environment. The Board of Education has offered several ongoing professional development opportunities. Snow Hill MS consistently has between 5-10 teachers participate in these activities which occur on Saturdays and during the summer break. Finally, the school is in the midst of implementing an Integrated Health Literacy Program. The program currently exists in grades four, five and six and will be implemented in grades seven and eight over the next two years. This program focuses on a variety of topics including exercise, nutrition, and overall healthy living.
Snow Hill MS believes that field experiences are an important part of the learning process. Currently, four of the five grades have outdoor field trips that offer structured environmental lessons. All fifth graders spend two days at the Pocomoke River State Park where they learn about the local environment and its effect on the Chesapeake Bay. Sixth graders travel to Assateague State Park where they spend three days completing a unit titled "Shipwrecked!". The activities they participate in are focused on the premise that they were aboard a ship that crashed off the coast of Assateague in the 1700s. The seventh graders collaborate with the National Aquarium and plant Atlantic White Cedars at the Nassawango Nature Conservancy. This experience is part of their service learning project. Finally, eighth graders participate in two different experiences. The first is part of their service learning project and involves planting trees to restore a local critical stream. The other focuses on Furnacetown and the effect that the iron furnace had on the environment in the past, present and future.
In conclusion, Snow Hill Middle School has worked hard to make environmental education an important component of the school culture. As we move into the future, environmental awareness will continue to be a priority for the school. Students and staff will continue to look for innovative ways to save electricity, the integrated health unit will expand to include grades seven and eight, and the fourth grade will implement an outdoor environmental experience.