"Our mission is to promote earth-friendly practices within our Mason-Rice community."   The Mason-Rice PTO is also committed in helping our children learn about Green Initiatives and practices, and demonstrating our commitment at PTO sponsored events. The PTO also works with teachers to incorporate Green practices in the classrooms and support curriculum. 

Compost, Recycle, Carbon Footprints, Sustainability, “Go Green” - - what do these mean?   Why should we care?  The Green Team is a group of parent volunteers who have shared interest in learning, practicing, and educating our children about how we can take better care of the earth and, ultimately, ourselves.   Read more about Mason-Rice Green Initiative.  Contact our co-chairs to learn more and/or to help out at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You can also learn more about what’s going on via our online communities: Mason Rice Green Team: http://www.bigtent.com/groups/gogreen

How We Are Making A Difference

1. We started will all major school functions, we've minimized trash going into landfills by encouraging composting and recycling (common results is 4 bags compost, 1-2 recycling, and 1 trash bag). The PTO supports using compostable disposable goods (napkins, plates, cutlery, beverage containers) at school events and parents staff collection bins. And we have partnered with our local Whole Foods store for composting on a large scale.

2. We support the incorporation of environmental themes into class lessons, such as Science Week, maintenance and support of School Garden, and guest speakers

3. We promote the use of reusable over disposable food containers in our school through education and sale of sustainable products.

4. Share best practices, ideas, and resources with other Newton schools and schools in Greater Boston area through online communities.

Green Projects

Catalog Canceling Challenge
Recycling excessive numbers of halloween or holiday catalogs that you don’t really want? Are you looking for ways to do more meaningful activities with your kids? Please join Kids Take Action, Social Action,  and the Green Team in a catalog canceling challenge to cancel 1,000 catalogs during the months Oct - Nov.

Did you know that each year 19 BILLION catalogs are mailed in the USA? 53 million trees and 53 billion gallons of water are used making these catalogs.  Producing these trillions of pounds of catalog paper requires the same amount of energy as 1.2 million homes a year and creates the same amount of CO2 global warming pollution as 2 million cars annually.

You and your children can make a big difference and help protect the environment and animal habitats by participating in this challenge.   IT'S EASY.  JUST THREE SIMPLE STEPS! 

1. Collect catalogs that you want to cancel
2. Cancel the catalogs by calling the 1-800 number on the back or use the website www.catalogchoice.org
3. Bring the catalogs to Mason Rice and put them in the collection bins near the bulletin board in the front lobby

We will keep track of the total impact and report back what differences these efforts made.

Having trouble getting rid of your catalogs?  Many catalogs are now found online.  Check out http://catalogspree.com to see if your favorite catalog is online. 

If you want to learn more about how other schools are doing this, log onto www.catalogcancelingchallenge.com and watch a 1.5 minute video with your kids.  Great stuff!

RESULTS:  In early 2012, we partnered with Kids Takes Action(KTA) team and implented the Catalog Cancelling Challenge. We collected 300 cancelled catalogs and achieved:

>     # of catalogs stopped:  1908  
>     Trees saved:  5.3
>     Gallons of H20 not used:  5342  
>     Lbs. of CO2 prevented:  3434
>     Cars off road:  .2 
 

WANTED!  REJECTED, BROKEN & UNWANTED CRAYONS. Did you know that over 120,000 pounds of crayons are made every day in this country?  They are a petroleum-based product that really should not be going into landfills.  Help Mason Rice do it's part to participate in the National CRAYON RECYCLE program where over 81,000 pounds of unwanted crayons have been "recycled" into new crayons and do not go into landfills. It's easy to participate.  Just bring your unwanted crayons to the Mason Rice front lobby  - - look for the bins near the big bulletin board!   

Improving Classroom Cleaning Supplies. Piloted centralized purchasing and distribution of environmentally friendly common products teachers ask parents to provide.  Pilot highlighted need to work with teachers and Newton public schools to improve communications between the two groups and to minimize teacher "ask" from parents (est. $3K annual community cost for paper towels, mult- surface wipes, facial tissue, hand sanitizer, and hand soap), which was initiated.  Many of these products are provided to classrooms by the Newton Public Schools.

Upgraded our School Garden. Wrote & Awarded Grant from Newton Conservation Committee & Green Decade for the Mason Rice school garden. Funds were used to:(a) update the garden layout, repair the aging garden beds, and renew the soil, (b) add a composting system, (c) add an elevated garden bed for handicapped students, and (d) install an enclosed bulletin board for communication of garden activities.

Contact the Mason-Rice Green Team to get involved, or if you have any questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SHOP GREEN? Click to learn more!