Pearl School Award Application Survey

2022-2023 Award Application

Please fill out this form and submit by May 5, 2023 to be eligible for the 2022-2023 Pearl School Award. You may count points for all projects completed between March 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023. Projects completed by student families will be counted under Individual Projects.

1.Name of School:

2.New or Renewing? (Mark only one level.)

New School

Renewing school (Have been a Pearl School before and have banner.)

Renewing school, but have lost our banner (See instructions at bottom of application for replacement banner.)

Other (please specify)

3.Address

4.Phone number for school

5.Grade levels participating

6.Pearl School Award Contact Name

7.Contact Email Address

8.Pearl School Award Contact Phone Number

9.Principal/Director Name

10.Principal/Director Email Address

11.Principal/Director Signature (This can be electronic.)

12.Number of Students in School

13.Number of Faculty and Supporting Staff

14.Individual Study Projects: 3 points each
These are projects that students have completed either as part of a team or individually. They can be projects completed through a club/organization outside of school (4-H, Scouts, etc.), in school or with their family. These points are often overlooked. Information and links to the various projects listed can be found on the Information and Resources Guide on the LRNow website.

Check all that apply. Student participation in...

a science competition with an environmental focus, e.g. Kid Wind Challenge.

Tidewater Science Fair, through Junior Division. Senior Division may be counted at 4 points each.

a summer residency program with an environmental focus or presentation about.

a special non-LRNow event or contest (writing, art, etc.) dealing with a watershed issue.

a neighborhood or waterway cleanup, alone or with an organized group.

the LRNow "block captain" program. (www.lynnhavenrivernow.org/pearlhomes/)

a Community Science program, such as water quality monitoring, growing oyster spat, etc.

a LRNow sanctioned projects, such as Notable Tree nomination, LRNow photo contest, Tree and Me art contest, etc.

a Scouting or faith organization which resulted in the student achieving an environmentally focused award.

the planting of a native tree or native plants at home or in their neighborhood.

an energy audit or trash audit at their residence.

the planting and maintenance of a family garden plot ( 1 point for each planted pot up to 5 points, and 5 points for each 5 x 5 ft garden.

Adopt-a-Stormdrain program through the city of Virginia Beach. https://drains.vbgov.com/

Other (please specify)

15.Individual Study Points Earned

16.Group I Projects: 5 points each
Group I projects give schools credit for one-time interactions or basic environmental projects, such as school-directed recycling efforts. Group I projects have no limit, with the exception of individual attendance of workshops or lectures. Include teacher/student names in "Others" section. These projects can be virtual or in person.

Check all that apply.

Host a program/guest speaker virtually or in person on an environmental topic.

Student and/or teacher participation in a Lynnhaven River NOW workshop or lecture. ( Limit 4 teachers.)

Display a map of your watershed with your school's location identified (available through the LRNow website.)

Reuse paper and "trash" in art classes and classroom projects, virtually or in-person.

Teacher participation in Project WET, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree, WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands or other environmental education workshops or courses, not taught by LRNow (limit 4 teachers)

Teacher participation in any of the LRNow Committees (must attend meetings on a regular basis.)

Participate in a storm drain marking project on your school grounds and in your school's neighborhood.

Classroom participation in the Bucket program.

Plant a native tree(s) on your school grounds.

Maintain Scoop the Poop boxes on school grounds, refilling bags and emptying boxes.

Ongoing school-wide recycling programs (5 points for each type of material recycled, i.e. plastic, paper, cell phones.)

Ban balloons at school events

Install a rain barrel on school grounds (5 points each, max points 15.)

Enhance an existing garden by adding native plants (5 points per grade level, discipline, club that participates; maximum 15 points.)

Document how stormwater travels from your property to the nearest waterway. Label pervious and impervious surfaces. Post it in the school or on your website. This can be done as an assignment for a class to do in their neighborhood.

Help promote LRNow programs through your school's newletter or social media.

Other (please specify)

17.Group I Total Points

18.Group II Projects (10 points each)
Group II Projects give schools credit for grade level or school-wide interactions and recurring environmental projects, such as regularly scheduled schoolyard trash cleanups and recycling efforts. Include project details in "OTHER" section.

Support an environmental, "green", ecology, or riverkeeper club that meets on a regular schedule.

Keep an aquarium to represent you local river or build and display a 3-D model of your watershed.

Run a campaign to encourage people to not use or release balloons. (Balloonsblow.org and lynnhavenrivernow.org/balloons/)

Install and maintain Scoop the Poop boxes on your school grounds.

Run a Pearl Home campaign and encourage parents to fill out an application. (Visit Lynnhavenrivernow.org/pearl-homes/ or contact Terri Gorman.)

Develop and implement a school policy utilizing organic gardening practices for your school gardens.

Host or participate in a cleanup event such as Clean the Bay Day, Great American Cleanup or International Coastal Cleanup.

Regularly check for and remove trash from school grounds.

Develop a NEW school-wide program to reduce energy and solid waste beyond school division expectations (i.e. recycling cell phones, ink cartridges, Terr Cycle items, etc.; 10 points for each type of material other than paper and plastics.)

Offer a lecture/workshop/forum/webinar for school parents to address a school or community environmental issue, such as flooding or single use plastics.

Partner with a local garden club to make your gardens into community gardens.

Participate in the Earth Echo World Monitoring Challenge. (monitorwater.org)

Conduct a one-time environmental field trip or field study for some or all of your students either on or off school grounds.

Participate in Green Apple Day of Service. (mygreenapple.org)

Mentor another school, including preschools, to help them become a Pearl School for the first time.

Participate in composting or waste-reduction program for your school's cafeteria.

Receive the Green Ribbon School Award or Virginia Naturally Award.

Complete the Environmental Literacy Challenge for Systemic Sustainability (Self assessment and application.) More information through www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/environmental_literacy/index.shtml.

Perform a Trash or an Energy audit.

Participate in an ongoing community science program such as Project Feeder Watch, Journey North, King Tide, etc.

Other (please specify)

19.Group II Projects Total Points

20.Group III Projects (20 Points each)
Group III Projects give schools credit for school or community-wide programs and projects that have a sustaining impact on the school population and beyond. Include project details in "OTHER" section.

Teach an interdisciplinary unit on watersheds, emphasizing the importance of upstream behavior.

Participate in an oyster gardening project. (Contact Laurie Sorabella at Oysterreefkeeper@yahoo.com.)

Participate in an LRNow project or MWEE, either virtually or in person.

Adopt a roadway or waterway through the City of Virginia Beach's Adopt-a-Spot program (20 points for the first year, 10 points for additional year.)

Partner with local food banks and/or farmer's market and/or your school cafeteria to use student grown produce.

Sponsor a contest on your watershed using art, writing, poetry, etc.

Sponsor a special event highlighting sustainability, recycling, or your local watershed such as a Sustainability Fair or Environmental Expo.

Set up a weekly or monthly monitoring program or field study on a local waterway.

Build a NEW garden on your school grounds. Each type of garden gets 20 points the 1st year and 10 points for subsequent years it is maintained and used as a teaching tool. Types of acceptable gardens include: rain garden, wildlife-friendly garden (birds, butterflies, amphibians, etc.), buffers along a waterway or a stormwater feature on your property, organic vegetable/herb garden, native plant garden, phrenology (seasonal) garden, ocean-friendly garden. Include in "OTHER" section how this garden was used for teaching.

Participate in a multiple day program on conservation or sustainability for example reusable bag program.

Build and monitor a home for one or more animals (example mason bee boxes, habitat tower or bird boxes.) To get all the points, you must monitor on a regular basis the animals that make use of the home you have provided. 20 points for the 1st year and 10 points for subsequent years monitored.

Other (please specify)

21.Group III Projects Total Points

22.Total Points including Individual Study, Group I, II, and II

23.Photos
Please send at least 2 but no more than 6 photos to support the activities in your Pearl School application. Use the comment box to explain each photo. Send photos to education@LRNow.org at the same time you submit your application. Make sure photo file names include school name.

24.Thank you for all that you do to educate our students on Virginia Beach waterways. Receiving the Pearl School Award entails lots of people coordinating as a team. Below, please list those team members by name, the grade they teach or their position with the school, and their email address.

Note: If you lose your banner, there is a cost to replace the Pearl School Award banner. Please let us know as soon as possible for us to make arrangements for your new one.