Polar Bear Days at Prince of Wales P.S.

June 22, 2010

At Prince of Wales P.S. students diligently conserve energy through LOCO (Lights Off, Computers Off), as well as by minimizing garbage pickups from our daily efforts of recycling, reducing, and reusing. Money saved from these practices is spent to promote other environmental endeavours. In the past, we have put this money toward outside gardening, environmental resources for the library and initiatives to further promote a clean environment at our school.

This year, in addition to these, our EarthCARE team, decided to look at our world situation, specifically , global warming and the polar bear. Global warming is melting the ice in the north preventing the polar bear from fishing for food and leaving them in a perilous situation. Through the World Wildlife Foundation, our school adopted a polar bear. This was a symbolic donation to help polar bears in need. We received adoption papers and a large stuffed polar bear which has found a home in our school library. We celebrated this endeavour by designating the week of January 11-15 as “Polar Bear Days at Prince of Wales P.S.”.

To kick off the week, all students attended an assembly facilitated by the EarthCARE Team. Students were informed about the plight of the polar bear and about plans for the week to help save the polar bears. A resource binder was created for each grade division containing information about the polar bear, website for more information and for tracking the movements of polar bears in the north. Worksheets and activities were also included in each binder. Additional DVD’s and books about the polar bear were purchased for the school library. Some activities students were involved in during the week included: Name our Polar Bear contest, finding hidden polar bear prints in the school, fundraising by selling ice cream bars for polar bears, a large polar bear book display in the library, polar bear research and games on the computers, new Polar Bear Facts each morning on the whiteboard in the front foyer, Polar Bear Joke of the Day each morning on the announcements and many other in-class activities.

Our polar bear was named "Oreo" because polar bears have black skin and fur that appears to be white when in the snow.

The students of Prince of Wales P.S. can be very proud to know that through their efforts they have helped make a difference in the world and, in particular, to this beautiful animal. Polar badges have been added to the EarthCARE Team’s green shirts to remind us that we need to continue to help and care for the animals of our planet.

Submitted by The P.O.W. EarthCARE team