Fairbanks Montessori School

Sustainability at FMS

Sustainability at FMS follows Dr. Montessori's vision that care of, and connection to, the natural world is essential for children's positive growth and development.  In Montessori's theory of cosmic education, very young children are taught that they are first citizens of the whole planet, that they all share in life on earth, and that they all have a responsibility to care for the earth and each other.

Dr. Montessori also believed it was important for very young children to use real items - both for motor skill development and for the practice of patience and care. 

As of June 2023, sustainability at FMS looks like the following practices, many of which date back to the founding of the school.

• Reusable plates and silverware 

• Students use water bottles or a cup, limiting disposable cup use

• Reusable napkins and tablecloths

• Reusable cloths and rags for cleaning, polishing, dusting, drying hands, and more

• Curriculum material designed to last for decades -  high quality metal, wooden, and acrylic items that are used over and over again

• A variety of non-toxic living plants to naturally filter the air

• Plastic items that are usually considered one time use, such as Ziplock bags, are reused for several years, for storing a variety of materials

• Classrooms share approximately 30 "unit bins," which are large themed learning boxes that contain a variety of supplemental material for a given unit study.  For example, the Asia box contains a kimono, laminated cards for learning about Asian land features, and other reusable items.  The material in the unit bins is reused and shared amongst all the classrooms, preventing one time use or the constant consumption / purchasing of new materials.

Sustainability in our administrative practices:

• Moving to paperless application, enrollment, and HR processes

• Recycling all cardboard and mixed paper 

• Staff kitchen stocked with plates, coffee cups, water glasses, and silverware to prevent use of disposable products

• Paperless communication to families in the form of weekly Director emails, important reminders, etc.

Sustainability in our building:

• In the cold winter months heat is set at 70.  Students and staff wear sweaters / warm layers, instead of turning up the heat.

• In the warm summer months, the building does not use AC.  Fans are used and students have access to ice water.

• Lights are turned off when a classroom of students goes outside for recess, or to another location in the building.

• Every evening computers and copier are put to sleep / energy saving mode

• Friday evenings / last day of the school week computers are completely shut down

Sustainability on our grounds:

• Choosing to not have large grassy areas that require watering and mowing  

• Choosing insect mitigation products that do not harm birds or bees

• Planting perennials 

Sustainability in our events:

• Reusable decorations for kindergarten graduation, school dances, PTO fundraising events, etc

• Limited amounts of extra decorative lights during the winter holiday season