Day of Service – Trotter Innovation School (School Beautification Day)

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

Every year the Trotter Parent Council, in conjunction with community partners, holds a School Beautification Day because “where children learn matters!” With a very high prevalence of asthma in the Trotter school population, air quality and the cleanliness of the school is extremely important to our students. Having a clean and orderly school sends the right message to children–that they are valued and safe. The Trotter Community sends a warm thank you to Boston Properties for sponsoring the event and supporting the community on this Day of Service. 

The importance of green, clean schools is not a new concept to the Trotter as they were awarded the American Lung Association Award for Asthma Management in 2013 for their education and proactive actions to reduce asthma triggers throughout the school. The Trotter recognizes that the work of asthma prevention is constant work and so every year it is a focus of the annual Green Apple Clutter Cleanout Event. During the 2015 Green Apple Day, parents, students, staff and community partners gathered on aSaturday to help “green up” the school by steam cleaning carpets, cleaning all classroom and hallway surfaces using school district approved green cleaners, and helping teachers clean up their clutter by providing “clutter bins” for storing materials and reducing places for pests to call home.

Not only is the Green Apple Day a day of action, it’s an educational opportunity for all involved. Attendees come to understand the importance of asthma management; they learn why it’s important to reduce chemicals in our schools, keep classrooms clutter free, maintain clean recycling and trash systems and generally clean up after ourselves in every area of the building. And in the end the school building is a greener, healthier and cleaner place for all Trotter students!