Press Release
November 30, 2007
McKinley-Thatcher Students Visit Capitol
McKinley-Thatcher's fourth and fifth grade students and their teachers will head to the Capitol Building to seek a helping hand from Governor Bill Ritter on December 5th. The school is on a mission to mine Colorado's gold, golden sunshine, and restore McKinley-Thatcher to its original design as a solar school.
Constructed in 1977, McKinley-Thatcher Elementary was a pioneer in Colorado's early solar movement. Designed to capture the sun's rays in solar panels covering the school's roof on the southern side and transport solar-heated water through large pipes throughout the building, the then new solar technology held great promise. However, after about five years, the system became inoperable, although the panels remained in place. This was not the end of the school's involvement with the environmental movement, however.
In 1999 McKinley-Thatcher became the Greenway Foundation's pilot school for the South Platte Environmental Education Program, or SPREE. With the theme "A River Runs Through Us," McKinley-Thatcher teachers developed an integrated environmental education program using various locations on the South Platte River as their outdoor classrooms to teach students about the river's riparian habitat and the important role the South Platte River has played in Denver's history.
In 2006, sparked by a school-wide study of environmentalist Richard Louv's landmark book, Last Child in the Woods; Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, the school expanded its environmental education offerings to include Denver Zoo's W.I.N.-W.I.N. program, classroom lessons from the Thorne Ecological Center, and a Seed to Table Gardening Club. In addition, a major landscape redesign of the school's entrance took place with the help of parent and landscape designer, Tom Jump, school staff and volunteers, and local community partners McStain Neighborhoods and Designscape. The result was a welcoming habitat for birds, insects, small animals and small people.
Now this small school and its community have taken on the big challenge of utilizing Colorado's 300 plus days of sunshine a year and McKinley-Thatcher's architectural design to return the school to its intention of being a solar school. By replacing the old solar panels with a new photovotalic solar system, the school will reduce the school's carbon footprint, save DPS money by reducing electrical costs, and serve as an example to the community of how kids and a school can make a difference in saving the earth.
McKinley-Thatcher students have researched solar power, written feature articles, built solar models, and secured bids from contractors. On December 5th, with their articles and a letter requesting help and advice from Governor Ritter (whose home is close to the school) in hand, the students will launch their search for the funds to realize their goal.
Community members interested in helping the students secure funding for the solar project are invited to contact teacher-leaders, Dr, Judith Girard and Erika Morris, or Principal Vicki Cyr at McKinley-Thatcher by calling 303-777-8816. For media inquiries, contact DPS Communications Office at 720-423-3414.