Arbor In The News

April/May 2009

Arbor Middle Schoolers earn Glowing Praise

by Mike Cooper

Arbor Montessori middle-school students received a standing ovation from federal environmental workers who heard the seventh- and eighth-graders describe a competition they organized to encourage businesses in Decatur's Oak Grove neighborhood to reduce energy consumption.

The six Arbor students spoke at an Earth Month kickoff event organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center in downtown Atlanta.

Hannah Brown, Paula Cheng, Cameron Futral, Devin Mashman, Aidan O'Reilly and Leigh Kathryn Vines told about 200 EPA and other federal employees about the Glow Challenge, which asked businesses to reduce their use of electricity.

"This is just a great illustration that we all have a part to play," said Beverly Banister, EPA Region 4 Acting Deputy Regional Administrator, as she presented the students with an EPA "Tribute of Appreciation."

Student Paula Cheng explained that the Glow Challenge "was a competition between numerous companies in the Oak Grove area to see who could reduce their electrical usage by the highest percentage."

"We walked around the Oak Grove area explaining to businesses what the Glow challege was," Cheng said. Three companies agreed to participate. "We want to continue and expand the Glow Challenge beyond the Oak Grove area in the coming years."

"Limetree Gifts, the winner, reduced their electric bills by 31 percent," Cheng said.

Hannah Brown said Limetree Gifts "told us they intended to continue these energy-saving tactics in the future." "They helped better our community," she said. "They helped our environment in the fight against global warming."

Arbor's students were introduced at the program by WABE Radio host Steve Goss, whose February 18 interview with the students during a local segment of NPR's "Morning Edition" caught the attention of regional EPA officials.

Leigh Kathryn Vines told the audience that one of the biggest challenges in enlisting participants was "our age and getting companies to take us seriously." "I think we all got something out of this experience," she said. "It was definitely worth it."

"We have the full intention of making the Glow Challenge an annual tradition," Mashburn explained. "We together can step off the sidelines and change the course of global warming."

The EPA program also featured Dennis Creech, executive director of the Atlanta-based Southface Energy Institute.

March 19, 2009

The Glow Challenge
Davina Marraccini, Public Affairs Specialist from the Environmental Protecion Agency, heard our students on the radio and has invited them to present at the EPA's kickoff to Earth Day! The students will be introduced by Steve Goss, who interviewed the students on WABE 90.1 FM. Stay tuned to hear more about these enterprising and ecological kids!
The winner of the Glow Challenge was Limetree Gifts, a retail store, who did a great job of reducing the store's energy consumption. Congratulations to our neighbors! And congratulations to the team of six Arbor students who have now been recognized by Lexus and Scholastic as one of 16 winning student teams in their nationwide Air and Climate Challenge: Hannah Brown, Paula Cheng, Cameron Futral, Devin Mashman, Aidan O'Reilly and Leigh Kathryn Vines.

February 18, 2009

Did you miss hearing the Arbor middle school kids on NPR? If so, or if you just want to hear it again, you can visit the NPR website.

This is how they were introduced on the radio:

"What difference can one individual or one middle school class have on limiting the causes of global warming? That's what Annie Frazer's class at the Arbor Montessouri School set out to find when they created the "Glow Challenge" in the Oak Grove community in DeKalb County. Three of the students--Devin Mashman, Cameron Futral, and Aidan O'Reilly--recently spoke with WABE's Steve Goss about the motivation behind their project."

We are very proud of our middle school students and wanted to give you the chance to hear them for yourself. Enjoy!

March 2009

Arbor Montessori Celebrates National Black History Month
Special Presentation:

The Tuskegee Airmen at Arbor Montessori School March 2, 2009

The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one
of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved
conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated
combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen’s achievements, together with the
men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of
the U.S. military.