Sustainability "by the numbers"

ISKL's sustainability initiatives are many and varied and are often publicized as they involve the essence of our being: Our students. What is perhaps less publicized (though the data is available on the Sustainable ISKL website) is the environmental indicator data that we use to inform decisions going forward from a structural standpoint. The latest data, from last semester, reveals the following:

• Through January 2015 we have used the 2,100,000 kWh of energy on our two campuses for this academic year. This is nearly identical to last year's energy use (59% of last year's total with 58% of the year metered).
• December 2014 we have used 1.916,000 sheets of paper on our two campuses for this academic year (49% of last year with 50% of the year metered).
• Through January 2015 we have used the 16,100 m3 of water on our two campuses for this academic year. For Ampang this includes a large increase (68% of last year's total with 50% of the year metered)

A quick check on the EPA carbon equivalencies calculator (here) will indicate that our school's energy use for this time period generates carbon emissions equivalent to 519 tons of landfill waste and would need 37,130 seedlings grown for 10 years to sequester the same amount of carbon. 

Those might seem like high numbers, but they are part of a downward trend . Since 2009, when our environmental indicators started being tracked (somewhat unofficially), our water and paper use have come down by close to 30%. Energy has been rather consistent but this too is viewed as a success given that our school population has increased markedly (along with programs) in that time and we have increased our reliance on and use of technology. 

But, as with any change, the easier adjustments have been made and we are coming to the proverbial plateau.  As the light at the end of our new campus tunnel starts to shine a bit brighter it is a good time to recognize the collective power of design, technology and human behavior and make the necessary adjustments for a more efficient future. 

What is perhaps more exciting is the involvement of our students in the analysis of data, future projections and the offering of a plethora of possibilities. Students. Data. Facilities. Community. Interacting for a future we all want.  

Little (Recycling) Changes Needed!

Many of us wouldn't know Mat. He's been helping our entire community out for over six years now. Mat works with an organization called Treat Every Environment Special (TrEES) which, we are proud to say, has been our recycling partner at Ampang for that amount of time and more. We are extremely proud of our recycling efforts at ISKL and happily boast that, over the past five years, we have kept over 16,000 kg of waste from the landfill.

Over the past year things have become increasingly more difficult for Mat. Instead of arriving and filling up his truck with bags which are sorted and separately packaged (from bins around campus), he has found himself, increasingly, having to open bags to discard non-recyclable waste, empty half-filled bottles and to sort things appropriately. What should take half hour sometimes extends to four hours or so, and, with sweat heavily dripping from his brow, he sorts, weighs and fills his truck and drives on. 

As consumers we often don't think about the story involved behind discarding something. But we're hoping that knowing that there is a person - Mat, a hard working and unassuming one - on the other side of this will allow our community to recognize the human element of the recycling program. After all, recycling is not detached from human experience. It is heavily involved and integral part of who we are and what we do at ISKL. 

As a point of reference, when you're doing your part in participating in our on-going recycling efforts (as we hope you will) please take a moment to support Mat, and the environment, by emptying and appropriately sorting recyclables in the bins provided. If you happen to bring things from home, please separate your recyclables by type as you would at school. 

What could take just a moment for us to decide which bin to use, could mean the difference between a half hour pre-sorted pick up and a four hour sifting through trash and smells in the name of environmental sustainability. Thank you for doing your part - our part - in making the world a beautiful place!

Social Change 2.105

A couple weeks back our grade 5 students started their Social Change unit. Just the fact that the unit exists in our curriculum is pretty cool, but grade 5 decided to bring in some "expert" social change makers to allow our students the chance to glimpse into the minds and world of people actually making change and helping others - the environment and their community - on the ground. Who were they?  Well, they were you!

A number of parents and community members, and even a high school student, visited grade 5 on that afternoon to share their initiatives. The chats were about 10 minutes long and the students - in groups of ten - moved from one location to another to meet yet another "change maker". Things that were covered included items such as recycling, supporting local indigenous rights, assisting refugee communities or fundraising for orphanages in the region. The ideas were just flowing and the kids, engaged and impressed, asked a number of great questions.

The big idea behind this is that each and every one of us can be a change maker. We need not wait for our chosen leaders to do the leading.  What it takes is a little courage and a good dose of empathy and caring. It takes a bit of planning too. Add a tad of perseverance and follow-through and you've got yourself a change maker!  

How absolutely wonderful to see our community engage in such conversations, to allow our grade 5 students a glimpse of how people around them - in the hallways and in their classrooms - choose to make positive change! Add the many, many others in our community - our parents and our children - involved in positive change and it becomes quite obvious that global citizenship is very much alive at ISKL! 

Putting the "Eco" in School

It's not often the breeze picks up so it's perhaps a bit hard to recognize the green flag that sits along side our school flag on each campus. It's our "Eco-Schools" green flag. When it waves it's a clear sign that we do much at ISKL to study, appreciate and support local efforts at sustainable development. 

Thankfully our campus involvement and learning is much more steady than the wind so it's only a matter of looking around to see learning taking place. This week alone a number of classes participated in various activities intended to foster the understanding of sustainability in a local context. 

The grade 6 service learning classes are busily working on action related to global issues. One class has identified the issues or water and health in the context of the flooding on Malaysia's east coast. Their goal is to engage the MS community in supporting the flood victims, and especially children. The other class is focusing on the health issues related to mosquito borne illness, namely dengue. 

Grade 7 had a number of visiting experts on Wednesday in what will hopefully become an annual affair: The grade 7 Ecology Symposium. Speakers will be visiting (and on Skype) and not only presenting what they and their organization do but also asking students to participate in role playing as if they are the speaker in action. Analysis of appropriate decisions is a powerful result of this, increasing learning a good deal. 

Finally, our grade 3 classes completed their "tree planting" project. Since November they have measured the space left open by the reconstruction of a new wall and studied plant species appropriate for the space. On Monday they planted 24 plants which, with some on-going love, attention and water, we hope will adorn the campus for many years to come. 

It's wonderful to see children understanding, connecting dots and growing in such meaningful ways. Whether the wind has picked up or not, whether the flag is waving or still, our students are true Eco-Schools exemplars in action!

From the Mouths of Sixth Graders

Sometimes when the holidays come around everyone rushes out to buy presents. Sometimes we're happy to be with the ones we love. Sometimes we find warmth in the words of our young. And hope. As the semester ends grade six is asked what a global citizen means to them. It's part of their unit by the same name. Here is a smattering of their definitions. May their words lead the way to a wonderful new year for all of us!

• Global citizens are interdependent individuals that collaborate to make a difference in the community.
• Global citizens are helpful and make a positive difference.
• Global citizens are people who think about the effect of their actions on the present and the future.  They do what is best to benefit our world, making it a better place.
• Global citizens are future-focused, empathetic, warm-hearted individuals.
• Global citizens are ethical people who work collaboratively with others to improve lives.
• Global citizens are collaborative, interdependent individuals who help build community.
• Global citizens help to build communities that put a smile on people’s faces and a bigger smile on the world.
• Global citizens care for others both in and out of their community.
• Global citizens solve problems to make the world a better place.
• Global citizens show that they care for others and the global community by being accepting and empathetic.
• Global citizens impact communities by cooperating, being inquisitive, and expanding their knowledge.
• Global citizens care for the environment.
• Global citizens are future-focused people who believe that they can make a difference in their community.
• Global citizens are proactive and interact with the global community in a positive way.
• Global citizens are welcoming and let anyone join their community.

Action Packed Final Two Weeks

Just over the past two weeks a good amount of things have happened related to our school. In focusing on nature and sustainability here are some highlights:

• The MS ISTA trip to Telunas, Indonesia featured 40 ISKL students performing (physical theatre, dance, clowning and storytelling) in natural settings along side SAS and AISS (Singapore).
• Grades 1, 5 and 6 welcomed d'Arcy Lunn who focused on global citizenship and what it means for our students.
• Grade 8 is well underway on their newly-revamped unit on Climate adaptation. A big part of this is the role playing of students with regard to a variety of global issues as they relate to specific countries; a sort of MUN meets GIN format. 
• Grade 7 is well underway for planning their Ecology Symposium which will take place in January.
• Grade 6 service learning classes are already honing their skills and interests to global issues and will be identifying a specific service learning experience soon. One class has decided to focus on poverty. 
• Our grade 1 students combined their global citizenship voices to create a video about sustainable Christmas celebrations (here). 
• Grade 3 has been incredibly active on the "green" front this past month
• They welcomed Ecocentric Transitions to build their own vermi-composting bins. Four bins now reside in our grade 3 classrooms. 
• They visited the Klang Gates stream to do water quality testing with the Global Environment Centre.
• They have also been working on identifying appropriate tree species for the outside of our Melawati campus wall where the new wall has been build just outside the gym. 
• Our Preps have been planting seedlings for their new Garden Tower. 
• HS Earth Club organized our very first Farmer's Market which, small though it was, was heralded as a great new direction for our community. And, of course, the on-going Community Recycling continued on that same day bringing in over 1 tonne of recyclables. 

Can you believe all that has happened just in a past few weeks at ISKL?  Thinking about it, it's a whole lot of work, effort and great learning going on!  Just the type of thing you like to see before heading into a long break. Happy Holidays to everyone!  See you in 2015!!

Serving Learning

Cathy Berger Kaye is one of those people who, once met, is never forgotten. She is engaging and passionate and enthusiastic and walks the talk of service learning. She travels the world sharing best practices on education, teaching and learning methods, action planning and ties it all together beautifully. Last week ISKL was fortunate to have her visit with us for two days of direct support with our teachers and students followed by a two day EARCOS Weekend Workshop on service learning. 

During her visit she worked with the following groups:

• The ES service learning committee in expanding service learning in the curriculum
• The MS grade level core teams on their integrated units (grade 6 impact unit; grade 7 ecology unit; grade 8 climate adaptation unit)
• The HS service team leaders, CAS and Community Service Coordinators working on infusing the service learning framework in our out-of-class experiences
• The grade 5 students doing an activity called "four corners" which focused on crating guiding questions, determining skills and interests as well as identifying methods of investigation for topics that matter to students
• The HS Service team student leaders focusing on motivating and engaging others.
• 31 ISKL teachers and administrators (and 25 non-ISKL teachers) doing a two-day service learning workshop on teaching and learning.

Four days are rarely enough. One generates more questions than one has answered, as a reflection of what learning should be. 

The biggest take away from her visit was that teaching should reflect the real world, should give students "voice and choice", should be a true connection to community and/or global needs and focus on the learning. It was an inspiring end to the week and, considering the ever-growing number of people who are being touched by her work at ISKL, it's fills us with motivation to make learning even more authentic and engaging as we continue to build spirited, socially responsible global citizens".