New Glasgow Academy’s 4 Plus makes Green Schools Draft Snakes!

New Glasgow Academy’s 4 Plus recently made Green Schools Draft Snakes to teach and encourage the children to have better energy saving habits!

The students learned about Green Schools and Efficiency Nova Scotia, and then heard the story “10 Things I Can Do to Help My World” by Melanie Walsh. Engagement Officer Tabitha Coleman spoke to the children about staying warm for the winter, and how they can feel the coolness around windows in the cold weather.  One of the children was asked to place a sample draft snake on the ledge up against the window to show the children wear how they work, and they discussed how we can all save energy (heat, etc.) when we make good choices. Using a draft snake is one of those ways!

The children couldn’t wait to get started with the stuffing of their very own draft snake. They were divided into three groups where they were instructed to fill their socks with scrap fabric. Teachers Ms. Claudia, Ms. Cathy, and Tabitha assisted the children by tying a knot in the open end of the sock to close up the snake. The children then had the opportunity to personalize their snakes with special colours, patterns, eyes, mouth, and names.

Finally, everyone pitched in to decorate a draft snake as a thank you to Wear Well Garments Ltd for their donations of materials.  After adding their personal touches to the Wear Well Garment Draft Snake, most of the children proceeded to take their snakes to the window for a rest on the ledge in the beautiful warm sun. Snakes love the sun’s warm energy too!

Thanks to local Nova Scotia company Wear Well Garment Ltd. for their generous donation of the knit cuffing for this energy-saving activity, and they even donated the scrap fabrics too! Wear Well Garment Ltd. Is a provincial manufacturing leader when it comes to waste reduction. In 2014 they received the prestigious RRFB Mobius Award Small Business of the Year award. To read about their story click HERE or visit them on Twitter HERE.

Did you know that 7,000 tonnes of textiles are recycled annually? However, another 30,000 tonnes are still sent to Nova Scotia landfills. Visit RRFB For more great facts and resources, visit RRFB’ website HERE.

For other textile-based ideas and resources click HERE.

For other fun ways to create a draft snake, waste less and save energy, visit the Green Schools Pinterest Account HERE and visit Efficiency Nova Scotia HERE for great energy efficiency tips!