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The Patricia F. Kane
Environmental Education Award for Excellence was presented
to Egg Harbor Township Schools
Dale Rosselet, NJAS VP
for Education, Marjorie Fopeano, Joyanne Miller Principal,
Sue Ann Slotterback, NJAS Program Director for Nature Center
of Cape May (l to r)
Photo by: Kevin T. Karlson |
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Each year we have the
privilege of honoring an educator, or in this year’s case, a
team of educators who share NJ Audubon’s commitment to the
environment. Mrs. Marjorie Fopeano, principal of the Dr.
Joyanne D. Miller elementary School in Egg Harbor Township
accepted the Patricia F. Kane –Environmental Education Award
of Excellence on behalf of her third grade teachers and
students.
Teachers and
administrators in Egg Harbor Township have found that using
an integrated approach to instruction, one that highlights
the environment, produces great results in areas of the
curricula besides science. Each year, the Egg Harbor
Township third graders visit the Nature Center of Cape May
to explore the estuarine ecosystem and horseshoe crabs.
Prior to the field trip, NCCM staff visit each classroom
(there’s 27 of them!) and help the students make a list of
questions to focus their research about horseshoe crabs.
After their experience, students return to school and
continue their studies in various ways. In spring 2007,
students decided to write to state officials to protest the
harvesting of horseshoe crabs.
In addition, teachers and students use their
schoolyard habitat to do observation and study of Monarch
butterflies. For the last two years, students have created a
“monarch quilt” – both of which hang proudly on display in
the front lobby of their school.
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