2024 Winner
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School
for outstanding work in environmental sustainability
Highlights of our ongoing sustainability initiatives
Our students, faculty, and staff are committed to maintaining a green campus
Community Partnerships
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Action Teams
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about Action Teams
Composting
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Certification
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Battery Recycling
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Professional Development
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Snack Bags
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Recycling Facility
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Earth Day
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Faculty and Staff Initiatives
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Facilities
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Garden & Outdoor Learning Space
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Sustainability Mission Statement
We strive to shape engaged citizens who live with integrity, empathy, and purpose, in part by involving our community in the stewardship of the planet.
We foster in our our elementary and middle school students an appreciation of the world’s beauty and a sense of rich possibility along with a depth of knowledge about its complexities and challenges and a determination to make a positive difference in its care. In this time of increasing demands and stress upon Earth’s natural resources and ecosystems, the Day School recognizes environmental sustainability as a necessity and a core principle.
We seek to equip students to meet these challenges through modeling best management practices within our physical plant; integration of environmental themes, content, and skill-building in an interdisciplinary curriculum; and stewardship opportunities in our day-to-day lives at school and in the broader communities of which we are a part.
Empowering Young Environmental Stewards: Day School Eco Warriors
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Mayor Bowser Inspires St. Patrick's Community
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about Mayor Bowser Inspires St. Patrick's Community
Growing Together: Families Unite for a Sustainable Future at Garden Clean-up Day
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about Growing Together: Families Unite for a Sustainable Future at Garden Clean-up Day
Grades 4 & 5 Sustainability Team Supports Orangutans!
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about Grades 4 & 5 Sustainability Team Supports Orangutans!
Solar Eclipse Showtime: Viewing Party Recap!
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about Solar Eclipse Showtime: Viewing Party Recap!
Wolfhound Family Hike: Exploring and Celebrating the Great Outdoors!
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about Wolfhound Family Hike: Exploring and Celebrating the Great Outdoors!
Another Year of Sustainability at St. Patrick's: Updates from the Garden
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Gardening for a Sustainable Future
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about Gardening for a Sustainable Future
Earth Day Festivities and Sustainability at St. Patrick’s
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about Earth Day Festivities and Sustainability at St. Patrick’s
Sustainability Team Updates from Grades 4 & 5
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about Sustainability Team Updates from Grades 4 & 5
St. Patrick’s Students Help Reduce Waste
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about St. Patrick’s Students Help Reduce Waste
Our Community Gathers for Outdoor Hike & Festivities
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about Our Community Gathers for Outdoor Hike & Festivities
St. Patrick’s is the First School in D.C. to Receive the Prestigious Green Flag Award!
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about St. Patrick’s is the First School in D.C. to Receive the Prestigious Green Flag Award!
Day School Sustainability Efforts Continue to Thrive
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about Day School Sustainability Efforts Continue to Thrive
Middle School Students Travel to Iceland for a Week of Adventure
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about Middle School Students Travel to Iceland for a Week of Adventure
Day School Hosts “Lunch and Learning at St. Patrick's” Program for AISGW
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about Day School Hosts “Lunch and Learning at St. Patrick's” Program for AISGW
The Jeff Keffer Service Award: Sam Mason, Director of Sustainability
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about The Jeff Keffer Service Award: Sam Mason, Director of Sustainability
St. Patrick's Garden & Outdoor Learning Space Launches
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about St. Patrick's Garden & Outdoor Learning Space Launches
How Sustainability and Social Justice Intersect at St. Patrick’s
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Grade 5 Art Installation at Garden & Outdoor Learning Space
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about Grade 5 Art Installation at Garden & Outdoor Learning Space
The Green Flag National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools
This USA program has recognized St. Patrick’s for exceptional achievement for integrating sustainability into our curriculum and on school grounds.
With more than 5,000 schools in all 50 states, the Eco-Schools USA program is based on student-driven teams dedicated to reducing waste and to conserving energy and water use. To receive the Green Flag award, St. Patrick’s students, faculty, and staff:
- Formed an Eco-Action team
- Audited all Eco-School USA pathways to sustainability
- Developed, evaluated and monitor an Eco-Action plan
- Linked the plan to the curriculum
- Engaged and built community
- Created an Eco-Code
Board Level Commitment & Strategic Planning
St. Patrick's worked with sustainability consultants GreenerU to collect data, create goals, and brainstorm future benchmarks. In 2023, we became one of the only N-8 schools in the country to fill out the Sustainable Tracking and Rating System data. Please visit our sustainability curriculum and planning website for more information!
Science students love using the garden to understand where our food comes from and how our food grows!
- Director of Sustainability Sam Mason