Belleisle Regional High School

School Profile
Belleisle Regional High School is a modern two-storey building situated in Springfield, New Brunswick. BRHS serves a number a number of rural communities. Many of our families gain their livelihood from farming and woodlots. The school is comprised of a cafeteria, a double-gymnasium, a library, a career resource centre, two science labs, a home economics lab and an industrial arts program (automotive, metal processing, electrical, carpentry, computer-assisted drafting), a fine arts programming, a Cooperative Education course for grade 12 students, and a late French immersion program. Students have access to nearly 150 netbook computers stored in 6 moveable pods and a computer lab.

The Home & School Association is one of the oldest in the province and has been very integral in the development of school facilities. They have been instrumental in the creation of two sports fields, an outdoor basketball court, a track and an outdoor playground for students. This association has played a major role in the refurbishment of the school auditorium, which seats approximately 175. Their major annual fundraiser is a Harvest Auction, which support many programs in the two community schools.

The school boasts a large variety of extracurricular activities, such as rugby, soccer, basketball and volleyball. The Drama Club presents two productions each year, one featuring middle school students and a musical showcasing our high school students. The student council organizes numerous events throughout the school year. Our TADD group is among the most active in the province. We strive to provide volunteerism opportunities through our Builder’s Club, Key Leaders Club and Leadership classes. We acknowledge academic achievement and positive attitude on a regular basis through recognition breakfasts and Success Assemblies.

For a small school population our grade 11 and 12 high school students generally have access to approximately 50 course selections in addition to online options. Level 2 and level 3 courses are offered, as well as enrichment opportunities such as Holocaust Study Group, Encounters with Canada, Student Legislative Seminar, OREO Competition, Oratorical competitions, SHAD, and a French exchange program.

BRHS prides itself on being a community school. Our school is often open for community fundraisers, to assist families and organizations and for sporting events. BRHS offers a breakfast program to ensure that all students have a healthy start to their day. The school is a focal point for the greater Belleisle community.

Proposal for Greenhouse Project
Submitted by Micheal Chaisson on behalf of
Belleisle Regional High School

The proposed greenhouse project is intended to enhance both the Grade 6 – 10 Science programs and Mill and Cabinet 120 curriculum at Belleisle Regional High School through the implementation of experiential and project based learning. Students will gain first-hand knowledge of the necessary steps involved in the planning and execution of such a project and will also be asked to apply what they have learned as Specific Curriculum Outcomes in the classroom to what they are designing and building as a greenhouse.

The idea is to create a solar greenhouse to maintain a year-round growing season by harnessing and storing the renewable energy source of the sun via a subterranean heating and cooling system (SHCS) and other thermal mass storage options. This would increase the scope of the learning experiences for our students by including our grade 11 and 12 chemistry and physics students as upper level, or stretch, learning opportunities would be offered to our enriched students.

The initiative will take place in three stages, with the applications for funding and forming of a greenhouse committee in the first stage by end of March 2017, design and building of greenhouse models in the second stage by fall of 2017 and the final details and construction of the permanent structure being completed in the third stage by spring of 2018. The projected time required for completion will be approximately one year, beginning in March 2017 and finishing May of 2018.

Potential Sources of Partnership and Funding
• WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grant
• Sussex Area Community Foundation Inc – 2017 Spring Grant Session
• ASDS Nutrition and healthy school grant – applied for and received $1,450.00

Project Description
Belleisle Regional High School is applying for The Community Foundation’s Youth Vital Signs Grant to supply funding to build a greenhouse. The goal of the greenhouse would be to support our middle school and high school curriculums – specifically: science, Biology, Chemistry, Culinary and Industrial Art’s classes. Belleisle Regional High School is located in a farming community in southern New Brunswick and many or our students have horticultural experience. The skills needed to build and operate a greenhouse would draw on our student’s knowledge and the expert knowledge of the members of this community. It would also help develop new skills and learning opportunities that will benefit all those who participate. Today, students are disconnected from nature and need be taught simple life skills necessary to build an appreciation for the environment in which we live and teach our young people the responsibility of being good stewards of our lands.
The Nutrition Grant would give us the opportunity to supply our cafeteria with fresh produce. This in turn would enable our students to have access to nutritionally superior produce at an affordable price. We currently have a Culinary Tech course that is offered one semester but because of the popularity of this course we plan on offering it both semesters having a greenhouse would help reduce the costs of operating this course.
Our Home Economics room is dated and in need of new appliances and equipment, if we have money left over from the construction of a greenhouse we would use the surplus to up-date this technology lab. The Home Economics room is where we operate a breakfast club every morning for all students and staff. This club has created a positive school climate and an atmosphere of inclusion. If we were to receive this grant we could continue and improve on our breakfast program. The benefits and the opportunities of acquiring this money for the students of Belleisle Regional High would be enormous and would have a lasting impact on our school and community.

• Environment Canada EcoAction Community Funding Program
• Evergreen School Grounds via Toyota and WalMart
o http://www.evergreen.ca/en/funding/grants/telg.sn
o September 21, November 16
• Partners Assisting Local Schools (PALS)?

Who Benefits?
Directly Indirectly
Science 10 students
Science 9 students
Science 10 students
Mill and Cabinet 120 students Nutrition 120 students
All students
All Staff
Belleisle Commnuity

Science 10 Ecosystems and Weather
SCOs met through the PBL
Weather Unit Ecosystems Unit
Science, Tech, Society, Environment (STSE)
114-6 relate personal activities and
various scientific and technological
endeavours to specific science
disciplines and interdisciplinary
studies

115-2 illustrate how science
attempts to explain natural
phenomena

117-6 analyse why scientific and
technological activities take place in
a variety of individual and group
settings

118-2 analyse from a variety of
perspectives the risks and benefits
to society and the environment of
applying scientific knowledge or
introducing a particular technology

118-7 identify instances in which
science and technology are limited
in finding the answer to questions
or the solution to problems

SKILLS
213-2 carry out procedures
controlling variables and adapting
or extending procedures where
required

213-3 use instruments effectively
and accurately for collecting data

213-6 use library and electronic
research tools to collect information
on a given topic

214-10 identify and explain sources
of error and uncertainty in
measurement, and express results in
a form that acknowledges the
degree of uncertainty

214-11 provide a statement that
addresses or answers the question
investigated in the light of the link
between data and the conclusion

215-5 develop, present, and defend
a position or course of action, based
on findings

KNOWLEDGE
331-5 analyze meteorological data
for a given time span and predict
future weather conditions, using
appropriate methodologies and
technologies Science, Tech, Society, Environment (STSE)
116-1 identify examples where
scientific understanding was
enhanced or revised as a result of
human invention of a technology

118-5 defend a decision or
judgment and demonstrate that
relevant arguments can arise from
different perspectives

118-9 propose a course of action on
social issues related to science and
technology, taking into account
human and environmental needs

SKILLS
212-4 state a prediction and a
hypothesis based on available
evidence and background
information

213-7 select and integrate
information from various print
and electronic sources or from
several parts of the same source

214-3 compile and display
evidence and information, by hand
or computer, in a variety of
formats, including diagrams, flow
charts, tables, graphs, and scatter
plots

215-1 communicate questions,
ideas, and intentions, and receive,
interpret, understand, support, and
respond to the ideas of others

215-4 identify multiple
perspectives that influence a
science-related decision or issue

KNOWLEDGE
331-6 analyze the impact of
external factors on an ecosystem

318-1 illustrate the cycling of
matter through biotic and abiotic
components of an ecosystem by
tracking carbon, nitrogen, and
oxygen

318-2 describe the mechanisms
of bioaccumulation, and explain
its potential impact on the
viability and diversity of
consumers at all trophic levels

331-7 describe how soil
composition and fertility can be
altered and how these changes
could affect an ecosystem

Mill and Cabinet 120 GCOs met through PBL

GCO 4 Identify, select and use tools and equipment required in the mill and cabinet industry
GCO 5 Demonstrate proficiency in measurement and the application of mathematical estimation skills (metric & imperial)
GCO 6 Identify and interpret various types of working drawings
GCO 7 Identify wood, wood products and other materials to be used when building mill and cabinet products
GCO 8 Demonstrate knowledge of fasteners and adhesives commonly used to join mill and cabinet materials

Proposed Project Stages
Stage One February – March 2017
• Applications for funding submitted
• Building of fenced in area to secure greenhouse
• Greenhouse Committee formed
Stage Two March – May 2017
• Meeting with ASSD facilities management and Fire Marshall concerning dimensions and location of permanent structure to be built in the fall of 2017
• Meeting with Jason Johansen-Morris, P.Eng to enlist his expertise and involvement
• Meeting with Mr. Vander laan from Belleisle Farms to enlist his expertise and involvement.
• Design of 2017 permanent structure via prototypes
• Selection of best greenhouse design prototype
• Planning of purchasing, fabrication and construction activities
Stage
Three April 2017 – January 2018
• Meet on site with greenhouse/nursery professional
• Building of greenhouse and other supplementary sustainable projects
• Plants introduced
• Assignment of duties to greenhouse committee