PTA VP Sintra Constant

WHAT IS SWAG? The Sustainability, Wellness, and Garden Committee ("SWAG") consists of three teams that jointly deliver programming to help MES students and faculty build personal and community practices that are healthy for themselves and for their environment.

• Sustainability focuses on practices that reduce our use of non-renewable environmental resources and increase the overall health of the Earth. We are always looking for ways to enhance sustainability efforts at MES. Read more about some of our past programs and let us know if you have ideas for improvement. Contact PTA Sustainability Chair Maggie Stoudt
• Recycling: In past years, MES collected more than 50 huge garbage bags of plastic as part of the CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) Plastic Film Challenge! 
• Composting: Our school was proud to be a green leader within APS to start composting in our cafeteria together with Compost Now. Our students helped divert hundreds of pounds of waste out of a landfill and instead into nutrient rich soil for gardens all around Atlanta. 
  
  
• Wellness: provides students, staff, and caregivers opportunities to lead healthier lifestyles through increased physical activity and healthy eating. We encourage healthy snacks and being physically active. Each year the wellness team hosts spring and fall recess smoothies, allowing kids a fun opportunity to try out new fruits and vegetables. Contact PTA Wellness Chair Allison Massa Giannavola 
• Garden: enhances MES curriculum with hands-on life science and ecology experiences that expand students' knowledge of food systems and encourage healthy food choices. 

While some things will be different this year when our community is learning virtually, we are working on exciting programs:

Join our CSA! 
Our SWAG team has partnered with Fresh Harvest CSA to bring local, organically grown food right to your doorstep. Pick a basket and start eating healthier with your family today! Sizes range from mini to family and you can add produce, eggs, milk, honey and even yummy pastries as you would like to. The baskets can be delivered weekly or bi-weekly and can be put on hold easily if you are traveling. Put Morningside Elementary as your referral and we get 5% of the proceeds for every basket sold to help support our school garden. Be sure to watch out for these and other dine-outs in the upcoming school year.

Earth Week
We are already thinking about ideas for Earth Week in the spring of 2022 and are looking for an Earth Week chair.  To get involved with Earth Week 2022 planning, contact VP of Swag: Sintra Constant. 

Jr. SWAG
And be on the lookout for new ideas from Jr. SWAG. In the past, the Jr. SWAG team shared weekly mindfulness tips over morning announcements, led the MES No Place For Hate assembly, initiated the MES Culture of Kindness, installed Buddy Benches, facilitated a Zero-Waste Lunch Challenge, facilitated Heart Health and Mindfulness Weeks, made a MES Recycling Video, participated in a shoe recycling drive, and orchestrated a school-wide Blackout Hour during Earth Week.

Field Day
Ideas for Field Day in the spring of 2022 are underway.  To get involved with Field Day 2022 planning, contact PTA Field Day Chairs Madeleine Hackney and Matt Porter.