Maria Montessori knew that nature was an inherent part of our education as human beings. She believed we need to understand our place in the world and why we exist in it. Because being good inhabitants of the earth, and providing a comfortable, healthy learning environment for the well-being of our students, faculty and families is at the heart of Ruffing, we launched a green school initiative in 2005.

Knowing that being a green school is a process, not a miracle, we embarked on a journey to learn and practice techniques to become responsible inhabitants of the earth and to provide a healthier learning environment for our students and staff. Some of our current green initiatives include:

Green Cleaning Policy
Ruffing uses only safe, non-toxic cleaning products in our daily cleaning services at the school. From our all-purpose cleaner, floor stripper, and bathroom disinfectant, down to the laundry soap used in our laundry centers, we have eliminated the use of harmful chemicals known to pose health concerns to individuals, especially those with asthma and allergies. The products we use will not harm the environment either and most are Green Seal approved. Our custodial staff has been trained in the use of these friendlier products and we make a genuine effort to keep harmful chemicals out of our school and classrooms.

Green Procurement Policy
Whenever possible, Ruffing purchases products made from recycled post-consumer materials – like copy paper, hand towels, toner and printer cartridges – and products that are not harmful to humans or the environment.

No Waste Lunches
Ruffing encourages healthy eating habits for life and we teach our students to do their part in preserving the planet by recycling, composting, and packing “no waste” lunches. Our lunch guidelines encourage a reusable lunch box, reusable food containers, cloth napkins, reusable flatware, and above all, good nutritious choices.

Recycling Club
A group of committed Upper Elementary students collect recycled materials from classrooms each week and encourage everyone at the school to recycle, or better yet, reuse items in the classroom. Three recycling centers are set up throughout the school to collect paper, plastic, glass, newspapers and cardboard.

Integrated Pest Management Program
Similar to our indoor cleaning policy, Ruffing avoids using pesticides and herbicides, as they are known to be harmful to humans, animals and the environment.

We continuously look for ways to become more responsible inhabitants of the earth and to provide a safer learning environment for our students and faculty. Together we are on a mission to transform Ruffing into a brighter shade of green every day.

Green Building
Ruffing is nearing completion of a $5 mil redevelopment project that has transformed our once multi-building campus into one contiguous building with larger learning spaces and more efficient systems. For the first time, our children do not have to walk outside to get to the gym or to their art class.

The project incorporated high performance “green” design elements including increased natural day-lighting, improved air quality, geothermal (ground source) heat pumps, solar tubes and other high-efficiency design techniques. We reused construction materials including doors, windows, sinks and cabinets from old parts of our building and incorporated them into the new construction. What we were not able to reuse was either donated to the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity or recycled through Rosby Resource Recycling, which allowed us to divert unusable materials to a recycling center rather than to a landfill.

Ruffing has applied for and is confident we will achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification for our new construction project. The LEED Green Building rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED promotes the whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Solar Power
On November 16, 2006, Ruffing entered another phase in our commitment to alternative energy when our photovoltaic plant began to generate electricity. The panels, capable of generating 5.8 kilowatts of electricity, were made possible, in part, through a grant from State of Ohio, Office of Energy Efficiency, and are located on the south side of the roof above the Upper Elementary classrooms. An inverter, located in the Middle School lobby, converts the direct current generated by the solar panels, to alternating current that can be consumed by the school, reducing the amount of electrical energy the School needs to purchase. Data collected by the inverter is logged for use within the curriculum. Online data logging began on January 8, 2007 (view charts of hourly, daily and monthly production).

Solar energy is not the only way in which Ruffing is working hard to reduce dependence on fossil fuel. Geothermal heating and cooling has been implemented, along with High Performance Building Technologies, throughout the new construction. Day-lighting has been maximized wherever possible, including light pipes in the east Upper Elementary classroom. Students at all levels are engaged in recycling, from collection of paper to composting.

Green Curriculum
Ruffing’s Green Curriculum Committee is working to develop and integrate a green curriculum into the daily life of the school for all students. Our hope is that this green curriculum will help our students see themselves as part of the integrated whole of life on the planet, in a direct relationship with all living things.

A green school is a place where buildings and grounds become teaching tools and where integrated teaching experiences dynamically connect the classroom to the real world.