A Habitat for Learning

Oakview Elementary School
Simpsonville, South Carolina
Kathy Miller – Science Lab Teacher
Phillip Reavis – Principal

Slide 2 - School Facts
•	Oakview Elementary School
•	Enrollment:  1,197 K3-5th grade students
•	Location:  Suburban Simpsonville, Upstate SC
•	Staff:  65% Masters Degrees, 59% with 10+ years teaching experience and 19% NBCT
•	Assessments:  PACT, ITBS, MAP, SCRAPI & NAEP
•	Opened in 1995: Student enrollment 750 to 1,550

Slide 3 - A Habitat for Learning
•	SC Academic Standards
•	Science Curriculum
•	Program Purpose 
•	Major Components
•	Results in Student Learning

Slide 4 - Goals
•	Goal 1 - Increase Student Performance
•	Goal 2 - Use Scientific Process Skills in Inquiry Investigations
•	Goal 3 - Motivate Students to Learn
•	Goal 4 - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
•	Goal 5 - Make It Real
•	Goal 6 - Give Back to the Community

Slide 5, 6 - Recycling Programs
•	Paper						1997	
•	Aluminum Cans				1998	
•	Plastic Grocery Bags 			1998	
•	Printer Ink Cartridges			1999
•	Composting					1999 
•	Packaging Materials			2000
•	Six Pack Rings				2001
•	Cell Phones					2002
•	Batteries & Plastic Bottles		2003
•	Tennis Shoes				2005
•	Fluorescent Light Bulbs		2006

Slide 7, 8 - Schoolyard Habitats

•	Purpose
•	Butterfly Garden				1999
•	Apple Orchard				2002
•	Blueberry Patch				2002
•	South Carolina Garden			2004	
•	Nature Trail					2004	
•	Outdoor Learning Center		2004
•	Pecan Grove					2005
•	Watershed Garden			2007

Slide 9 - Service Learning
•	Goals
•	Garden Club
•	Earth Savers
•	Environmental Engineers
•	Student Council
•	Community Involvement Through Garden Workdays

Slide 10 - Environmental Education

•	Goals
•	Instructional Programs
•	School Wide Events
•	Schoolyard Habitat Development
•	Composting

Slide 11 - Funding
•	Grants
•	Awards
•	Community Partners
•	Donations
•	Matching Funds
•	Volunteers

Slide 12 - Sharing and Growing
•	Impact on Individual Students and Families
•	Establishing Other School Recycling Programs
•	Serving As a School Model and Resource Center
•	Workshop Presenters

Slide 13 - Summary Points
•	Key Learnings
•	Challenges Still Ahead
•	A Picture Says A Thousand Words