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. |
Natural Resources: Middle School Earth Day
Ross Middle School students honored Earth Day last week with a variety of activities including measuring their carbon footprint; working in the Spiral Garden and more.
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 Eco-Friendly: Lower School Earth Week
National Earth Week was celebrated by schools across the country last week, and at Ross Lower School, students and teachers discussed the importance of caring for the environment in addition to working on a habitat restoration project.
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Slow Food: Garden Party Fundraiser
A potluck garden party was held on a beautiful evening in the Ross Spiral Garden on April 20. The event raised money for the care and upkeep of the School garden.
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Hands-on Discovery: Lower School Science Program
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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Studying Ecosystems: 2nd Grade Visits Upper School
The second grade visited the Upper School on November 2 for a talk with Chef Lisa Smith about natural food cycles. The students toured the School’s composting area and learned about the system to prepare food, from washing the vegetables to serving them in the Café.
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Feeding the Hungry: PreK–4 Gleans Potatoes
Fusing service with agriculture, students in Pre-K through fourth grade visited Wesnofske Farm in Water Mill on October 22 to glean potatoes left on the field for local food pantries.
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Working the Land: Fifth Grade Visits Farms
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
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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- 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 and businesses.
- 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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