Stripling Earns Top Honors as Green & Healthy School

has earned the top county honors as a 2012 Green & Healthy School.

As a joint venture from Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Public Schools, the Green & Healthy School Program provides educational tool kits for schools to be more environmentally involved.

The program helps with "planning, executing and assessing the effectiveness of environmental lessons, activities, standards and school programs," according to a press release from the city of Norcross. Students learn about real-world topics such as water pollution, waste reduction and recycling.

"Kids are engaged in learning practical things that they can relate to in the real world, and they learn to be accountable for creating and maintaining a clean and healthy school environment," said Prinicipal Priscilla McHam. "It’s an achievement the whole school worked together to earn."

McHam also credited her staff for being productive in the program, especially teachers Merle Soodyall and Alison Doherty.

Because of the dedication from the students, administrators and teachers, Stripling was named a "top level" participant for the 2011-2012 year out of the 81 GCPS schools in the program. Only 47 of these schools earned this high of a recognition, according to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful boardmember and Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson.

“There is an incredible amount of positive energy and creativity at Stripling, and I applaud Ms. McHam’s leadership and her school’s accomplishment," said Johnson. "Helping kids realize the importance of conservation is critical to keeping Gwinnett communities healthy in the future."

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