COPPERAS COVE, TX (May 23, 2023)—Five of the last six years, Hettie Halstead Elementary in Copperas Cove has won the Fort Cavazos Recycle Bowl including this year’s competition. The student council members on the small campus of 400 students collected nearly 1,740 pounds of recycled materials during the recycle bowl campaign.
"It was fun going to all of the classes and seeing how much they had for us and having to organize it was exciting,” student council treasurer Zoey Hogan said. “It helped teach the students that recycling helps the environment because we are setting these things aside to be reused instead of making more and more."
Student Council Adviser and school interventionist Christina Newberry said club sponsors enjoyed watching the students work together to meet a challenge.
“All of the classes gave great effort to help win the recycle bowl,” Newberry said. “They learned that recycling is important to be able to repurpose material and keep it out of landfills. This project also helped bring awareness campus-wide regarding materials that are appropriate to recycle and materials that are not appropriate to recycle. Students also learned to work together to achieve a common goal for the good of the campus and environment. "
Interventionists Sarah Schoonover and Heather Holden also served as advisers for the student council and assisted in the effort.
Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary Student Council members joined the recycling efforts by being a part of Cen-Tex Youth Environmental Ambassadors.
"It was nice helping out the school and others in need,” fifth grader LaVincent Sims said. “Recycling is easy, and anyone can do it. I have learned to recycle more and that it really isn't hard to do. It has made me more aware when I throw away my water bottles at the end of the day. I now recycle them instead."
Student council members collected 1,081 pounds of recyclables and captured second place in the recycle bowl this year.
“Students emptied classroom and office recycling bins every Friday,” student council adviser Teresa Gorres said. “Students have learned responsibility, leadership, and service. Most importantly, they have learned that their service to the school and community also has an impact in the communities around us. They have learned that one small deed done every Friday has led to a huge impact in Central Texas.”
This is the first year that Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary has participated in the competition and plans to come back strong next year to win the top spot.
"Recycling really made me think about others. It has shown me that we all can make a difference in our environment by recycling,” fourth grader Amelia Grant said. “I already recycle at home and will continue to recycle."
CCISD schools have placed in the top three in the Fort Cavazos Recycle Bowl every year since the campaign’s inception.
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