From classes focusing on the environment to our renowned café that serves regional, organic and seasonal food, Ross students learn to become aware of their natural surroundings. Conservation is woven into the curriculum as the School continues to change the way education meets the future.
Surrounded by acres of woodlands, farms and coastal beaches, the Ross campus is the perfect natural laboratory for learning. Core classes and electives in ornithology, field ecology, entomology, marine science, green chemistry and sustainability are supplemented by independent research, field trips and service projects which allow students to explore and develop environmentally conscious practices.
Ross Lower School encourages sustainable living practices starting with Early Childhood, as students help care for the School’s organic vegetable garden. From planting seeds to harvesting crops, students connect with the land, learn about nutrition and develop a lifelong commitment to protect the environment. |
Hands-on Discovery: Lower School Science Program
6/17/2011
Explore. Discover. Learn. Ross Lower School science teacher Stacy Myers makes hands-on learning a priority in her classroom. “I think experiences imprint into a student’s memory. A stronger experience equals a stronger memory,” she said.
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 Working the Land: Fifth Grade Visits Farms
10/1/2009
Taking her classroom off campus and into the fields, Barbara Raeder brought the fifth grade to Quail Hill and Mulford Farms on September 30. Corresponding to their studies on the Early Settlement Period, they learned about sustainable land practices and the history of farming.
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LS Receives Check For Agricultural Program
6/11/2009
Family Farm Insurance, a partner with the Long Island Farm Bureau, bestowed a check for $600 to Ross Lower School to be used for its agricultural program. The monies will be used to buy another bed for the garden and mulch.
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Sharing Ideas: Going Green, Town by Town
5/21/2009
Greening a neighborhood is no simple feat, but with dedication and a strong grassroots effort, it can be done. This is the message Ross School tenth grader Lorenzo Azevedo and teacher Patty Lein took away after attending a meeting hosted by The Conservation Committee recently.
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Inspiring Awareness: LS Celebrates Earth Day
4/27/2009
The Ross Lower School planned a series of events to pay homage to the planet on April 22, Earth Day. The day started with a fourth grade plant sale, which sold out in less than an hour and ultimately raised $217 to purchase mulch for the Lower School garden.
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- Each year Ross students help plant and harvest some of the food served in the Ross Café. They also harvest crops for a local food bank.
- Over 50% of the food served in the Ross Café is from local farmers.
- Food scraps from the Ross Café are sent to a local farm to compost.
- Students help care for the School’s organic vegetable garden, from seeding to harvesting.
- Ross School is a member of the Green School Alliance.
- Recent student initiatives include reducing energy use on campus, establishing a recycling program on both campuses and a paper/notebook reuse program.
- Buildings on the Ross campus use geothermal heating and cooling.
- Recent Senior Projects include research on alternative fuel sources, water conservation, green architecture, sustainable living practices, organic farming and climate change.
- Ross School has reduced the number of printed materials it sends out, often relying on email and its website to deliver information.
- Paper cups have been eliminated from most water coolers, encouraging the Ross community to opt for reusable water bottles.
- Ross School was awarded a grant for $242,028 by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to install solar panels at the Lower School.
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