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Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certification Report

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This is the Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certification Report of Cedar Creek High School (Atlantic), a Sustainable Jersey for Schools bronze certified applicant.

Cedar Creek High School (Atlantic) was certified on August 06, 2020 with 190 points. Listed below is information regarding Cedar Creek High School (Atlantic)’s Sustainable Jersey for Schools efforts and materials associated with the applicant’s certified actions.

Contact Information

The designated Sustainable Jersey for Schools contact for Cedar Creek High School (Atlantic) is:

Name:Michael Manning
Title/Position:Supervisor / Science
Address:1701 New York Avenue
Egg Harbor, NJ 08215
Phone:6095933560

Actions Implemented

Each approved action and supporting documentation for which Cedar Creek High School (Atlantic) was approved for in 2020 appears below. Note: Standards for the actions below may have changed and the documentation listed may no longer satisfy requirements for that action.

  • Board Leadership & Planning

    District Sustainability Policy

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority District

    Program Summary: On October 21st, the Board of Ed at GEHRHSD passed a resolution in support of Sustainable Jersey for Schools that cleary defines sustainability and it's role in our three high schools. The Board has promised to support efforts at district and school level that will lead to certification through changing of practice, increasing community awareness, providing professional development to staff, and encouraging sustainable practices in all aspects of the schools. The policy has been posted on the district and school websites below. https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Public/pubELANOnline.aspx?id=ad5f471039f745138fa4487d3cb9487e

  • Diversity & Equity

    Breakfast After the Bell

    20 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District (GEHRHSD) is in the second year of free breakfast for all during the school day. The school building opens to students at 7:20AM with buses releasing the majority of our students before classes start until 7:45AM. Each morning students have access to hot and cold breakfast choices that vary daily. To handle the opportunity of each student to receive a breakfast each morning more than one location in each building is open to serve the students needs. Cedar Creek serves approximately 32% of its population breakfast, Oakcrest serves approximately 40% of it's student body, Absegami serves approximately 33% of it's population.

  • Food & Nutrition

    Promote Locally Grown Foods

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: Greater Egg Harbor Regional out sources our cafeteria to Maschio's food Services Inc. The food services company has worked with the board to implement local sourcing programs that improve economics in our area. The evidence shows local sources of produce that occurred in September, for Farm to School week and October Farm to School Month.

  • Healthy School Environments

    Access to Healthy Water in Schools

    20 Points
    School

    Program Summary: In 2018 Cedar Creek installed its first refill station in the cafeteria. In the summer of 2019 a second refill station was installed upstairs. Water fountains are located in close proximity to all student bathrooms and with and just outside the doors of the school cafeteria. Completing the Safe Drinking Water Evaluation helped the Green Team identify the need for "Drink More Water" signs throughout the building. Students made posters to be hung around the school highlighting the importance of drinking water sparked conversation among the staff and students.

    Integrated Pest Management - Education & Organic Lawn Care

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District sent 4 custodial and building and grounds members to a four hour Schools IPM course offered by the NJDEP. The certification presented is for Gerri Mazzeo, Supervisor of building and grounds, as she is readily available by email to provide digital evidence. However other staff members participated including Ralph Maruca AHS head Custodian, John Gilligan CCHS head Custodian and Jeff James Building and Grounds Manager.

  • Innovation Projects

    Innovative Project #1

    10 Points
    School District

    Program Summary: The CCHS STEM trailer was accomplished through Sustainable Jersey Schools grant program. The $10,000 was used to purchase materials that would make the trailer a movable classroom.We have traveled to Atlantic County Utility Authority Earth Day, Mullica Township School District, and Cedar Creek Varsity Day. Students of CCHS have lead students and community members in paper planter makers, plastic cap recycling, engineering design with 3D printers, and robotics. The trailer allows students to research in the field, and share their knowledge of engineering and environmental science with others.

  • Learning Environment

    All Arts Disciplines Offered

    10 Points
    District

    Program Summary: Student participation in the arts during their High School years is extremely valuable to their overall experience and can be a critical component of building useful, relevant skills for them to bring with them beyond graduation as they enter the next phase of their life. At Oakcrest HS, we are committed to offering a variety of courses in each of the four Arts areas: Music, Dance, Drama and Visual Arts. As part of our overall philosophy, we make it a priority to continue to build these arts programs to ensure students have the opportunity to take multiple courses in each area during each year in HS. We, at Oakcrest, feel that offering a wide variety of these classes helps students enjoy & stay in school. For many students, being able to take one or more of these classes allows them to deviate from the required academic courses and to engage in something that they feel most passionate about. Students not only become more involved in school life, but the arts help build discipline, creativity, patience and problem-solving, all valuable skills for students to develop in their adolescent years. The outcome that we have witnessed from offering these arts courses is a better mental state and overall well-being of many of our students who take pride in showcasing their talents and abilities through these classes. The arts courses we offer have also allowed us to build many community relationships with local colleges and professionals, further exposing our students to additional future opportunities.

  • School Culture and Climate

    School Culture and Climate Needs Assessment

    20 Points
    School

    Program Summary: In October the district and CCHS reflected on school safety and school climate, we were especially pleased to see that all three respondent groups told us the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High Schools are safe, and that bullying is not tolerated. However, parent perceptions about safety and behavior were lower than that of students and staff – the people that are in our schools every day. We are committed to ensuring you are fully aware of how we work to keep your children safe and productive, and pledge to improve our communication and transparency around this issue. The survey also highlighted the importance of creating a caring environment for students. Participants indicated that there is an adult in the school to whom students can go to for help, and that students are treated fairly, regardless of their background or abilities. This is an area of particular importance to us and has been the focus of both professional development and curricular enhancement going into this school year. The district has used the data collected to seek grants to improve areas of weakness.

  • School Grounds

    Green Infrastructure Installation

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The rain garden will reduce run to storm drain and beautify the front of Cedar Creek. This project focuses on constructing a garden that will function as a rain garden, which is intended to catch rainwater before it may cause erosion or become runoff that may contaminate local bodies of water. Native species will be planted, with an emphasis on plants that serve as sources of food and habitat for pollinator species. To deter the local deer population, it will be necessary to plant deer-tolerant plants to prevent dissemination of the garden due to over browsing. The slope and base of the garden will include plants which are beneficial to pollinators such as butterflies and bees while also having a high water tolerance. The garden will also create a habitat for birds and reduce pests. Furthermore, this will enhance Cedar Creek learning outside of the classroom and provide a more aesthetically pleasing environment. It will create educational opportunities and be used to teach students about nature and plant husbandry. In addition, students will benefit from this garden because it will enable them to learn about plant maintenance and plant sustainability.

  • Student & Community Outreach

    Green Team

    10 Points
    Bronze Required Silver Required School District

    Program Summary: Our mission is to incorporate sustainability into every level of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, from Students, Staff, Board of Education and Residents. We seek to preserve natural resources while balancing social, economic and environmental issues. The school team is working to develop procedures for implementation of sustainable practices, use sustainable practice in our units and lessons, and increase sustainable practice of all stake holders. We have worked to build documentation of the many sustainable practices and have now identified areas of weakness by working as a team to earn certification.

    Community Education & Outreach

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority School

    Program Summary: Cedar Creek High School holds 3 outreach STEM outreach events a year. The first event, in September, is CCHS Varsity Day, a day of showing of Cedar Creek sports and Activities to the community. The second event is to take science interested students and the STEM trailer to local elementary schools, like Mullica School 6th grade classes. Finally the STEM trailer has gone three years, this would have been the fourth year, to the Atlantic County Utility Authority Earth Day Celebration. At each event high school students demonstrate plastic bottle cap up-cycling, robotics, water quality testing, macro-invertebrate identification from local pond water, 3-D printing, and news paper seedling starters. The varied events attempt to educate the parents of Cedar Creek, the community at large, and future Cedar Creek eligible students.

    Enrichment Programs through Partnership

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: CCHS has formed alliances to help advance our students' knowledge. We have dual credit programs, we offer individualized virtual classes, and we are a distinguished Project Lead the Way Engineering School. The district has worked with several college representatives, to align curriculum for the articulation agreements. These classes are offered to students based on desire to participate in the course, and prerequisite courses, to maintain a logical sequence. The credits are offered at a reduced rate to the student and vary based on the who the dual credit is through. Consistently the rates are drastically less than taking the class at the school. Students can take these courses without seeking additional credit. To meet the need of students for classes that are not traditionally filling, or students who have unique career goals the district supports and works with guidance for virtual course options. The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering courses are an application, free of cost, 4 year program. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers across the U.S. PLTW students are selected based on application including; middle school grades, essay, and teacher recommendation. Finally CCHS has strong community ties that build sustainable practices and knowledge in our students. Each year biology and environmental science students are introduced to Mullica River Watershed Ambassador. This partnership teaches students about macro-invertebrates and water quality. We also work with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife to bring horseshoe crabs, Green Eggs and Sand, and Trout in the Classroom ,to teach about ecosystems and the value our local beaches have to us. The school district supports each of these programs by continued upkeep of materials, approval of field trips for student experiences, and teacher professional development to learn how to implement these programs.

  • Student Learning

    Education for Sustainability Integrated Unit

    20 Points
    School

    Program Summary: The information attached is supporting 2 different courses, Honors Marine and Wildlife Management, M&WM, a junior senior course and Environmental Sustainability Project Lead The Way, PLTW, a junior / senior year course. The courses are taught by two science certified teachers at Cedar Creek High School. The M&WM unit was the first time taught by this teacher. The unit plan submitted includes information on standards, teaching styles and student objectives, all designed to teach students about local ecosystems and how to manage them. The PLTW engineering sustainability course has a unit focus on design solutions to environmental problems, especially waste reduction and re-purposing.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Arts

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Cedar Creek art students model the work of famous artist Chihuly, but use collected used water bottles. The students take common trash / recycle and create master pieces displayed on walls and in offices around the school. The teacher helps the students find beauty in common waste and teaches about an art form, glass blowing, that can not be easily recreated in the high school setting.

    Education for Sustainability Grades 4-12 Science

    5 Points
    School

    Program Summary: CCHS physics teachers works to implement sustainability in their course in a design a air boat challenge. Our engineering class looks at the impact of air boats, their design and increased usage and how it impacts the environment. Students are challenged to make better designs, while the rubric doesn't explicitly score for impact the best design will consider impact on the environment first.

  • Student Safety

    Safe Driving Awareness Programs for High School Students

    10 Points
    School

    Program Summary: Cedar Creek High School approaches safe driving in three ways. First usually in the students freshman and sophomore year they take part in a teen drivers safety assembly, sponsored by NJM. In Junior and Senior year students and a guardian are invited to attend an after school hours, Share the Keys driving program, a parent teen driver dialogue based presentation. Finally during the school day before prom Juniors and Seniors are gathered for assemblies with speakers to remind students of safe driving choices.