East and West Amwell Schools

  West Amwell School and East Amwell Township School each won a new garden partially made from recycled oral care waste through this year’s Save Water Challenge, courtesy of global oral care leader Colgate-Palmolive (“Colgate”), regional retailer ShopRite and recycling leader TerraCycle.   "We look forward to engaging all our Kindergarten through Grade 6 students in this outdoor learning experience and using the new instructional outdoor space,” said West Amwell School Principal David Miller. “West Amwell School has a small and strong school community who's beauty will only be enhanced by this award."   West Amwell School earned a total of 1,528 pledges through online pledging to save water on its behalf while East Amwell Township School earned a total of 390 pledges. As the first-place overall winner, West Amwell School is eligible to receive a garden donation partially made from recycled material including 48 pieces of garden lumber, one picnic table, one gazebo, and one flat bench valued at $15,000.   "West Amwell school is grateful to Colgate and ShopRite for such an awesome opportunity for our students. The winning effort involved the entire community — from staff, parents, and students, and community social media support,” said West Amwell School PTO President Michael Strouse. “Our school is forming a committee of parents and teachers to maximize learning potential of the prize.”   As the third-place overall winner, East Amwell Township School is eligible to receive a garden donation made partially from recycled material that includes 48 pieces of garden lumber and two flat benches valued at $5,000. All built using recycled toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and floss containers collected through the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program, the gardens will be unveiled at ceremonies next spring.   “East Amwell Township’s Community Members and students are always willing to help the school and the environment; whether it be by voting or recycling materials. The community support is what makes our school so great! With the winning of garden materials and benches, our students will be able to utilize outdoor space and observe nature,” said 5th Grade Teacher/Environmental Club Advisor, Sharon Ernst. “Getting outside, taking a breath of fresh air, and being mindful of our surroundings is imperative, especially with the challenges everyone has faced this year.”   The third annual Save Water Challenge launched July 5, 2020 among schools throughout NY, NJ, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and Maryland that participate in the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program.   “I’m pleased to congratulate the students, parents and faculty of both West Amwell School and East Amwell Township School on winning first and third place respectively in the 2020 Save Water Challenge,” said Tom Szaky, founder & CEO of TerraCycle. “A prize garden made from the same materials they worked to collect is a great reminder of what can be accomplished through teamwork and a commitment to sustainability.”   The Colgate® Oral Care Recycling Program is an ongoing activity, open to any individual, family, school or community group. For each piece of waste sent in using a pre-paid shipping label, participants earn money toward donations to the school or charity of their choice. To learn more about the Colgate Oral Care Recycling Program, visit www.terracycle.com.   A full set of rules for the 2020 Save Water Challenge can be viewed at https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/contests/colgateshopritegarden2020.