Our pair project is proceeding nicely. We have not collected quite as much data as our partners. We had just over 200 responses and only our students administered the survey to other students at Cheyenne East High School.

The JFMF MTP 2006 Cheyenne East HS/Hibiki HS community survey was as follows:

1. Do you buy recycled paper?
2. Do you bring your own bag when you go shopping?
3. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth?
4. Do you turn off the lights when you leave the room?
5. Do you unplug cords when you will be gone for more than three days?
6. Do you use environmentally friendly products?
7. Do you drive around without a purpose?
8. Do you consume/use leftovers regularly?
9. Are you interested in hybrid vehicles?
10. Do you recycle? If so, what?
11. Have you ever done any volunteer activities that are helpful for environmental issues? Is so, what have you done?

If you answer "yes" to all of the questions (except for #7), we can say you are conscious of environmental issues.

Here is the data in the order of the questions:

63% did not buy recycled paper.

95% did not bring their own bag when shopping.

62% did turn off the water while brushing their teeth.

77% did turn off lights when leaving a room.

72% did not unplug cords when leaving the house.

58% did use environmentally friendly products.

56% did consume their leftovers regularly.

42% wasted gasoline by driving around without a purpose (remember, mostly teens took the survey).

67% were interested in hybrid vehicles.

61% recycled, but mostly just aluminum cans (because they could receive cash) and paper.

54% had done volunteer activities to help the environment. The most common response was trash picu-up.

As a result of the survey, our students decided to implement a comprehensive recycling program. Previously in our school district we have only been recycling paper. Phase one of our program is almost complete. We have purchased containers which students decorated. The containers are each dedicated to an item (glass, plastic, or aluminum). They will be placed at strategic locations around the building along with brochures and posters made by the students that encourage recycling.

The second semester class will be responsible for keeping the containers emptied and recording the mass of what we're recycling. I'll haul all of the stuff to the city recycling bins once every week or two.



The students seemed to really enjoy the project. Hopefully decorating the containers with bright colors will help people to see the recycling bins and use them.



Every group came up with at least two different design ideas. Most groups did a pretty good job with division of labor and team work.



One group did get a little wild with the paint. We found spots in many locations, including on the window blinds and on the cactus. The group was able to clean most of it up.

Two of the students from our newly formed Japanese club work on their anime design.


Snoopy was in charge of inspections and quality control.

He takes his job very seriously!

There was an interesting assortment of ideas and designs.


We will keep track of the weekly masses of plastic, aluminum, and glass that we will recycle. Since we are partnered with Hibiki High School for 2007 MTP, we will keep the numbers updated on the 2007 blog. Fukuoka Hibiki High School/Cheyenne East High School MTP 2007 website

Howdy Jim...It looks like you're busy as usual. Unless I'm mistaken, we're both returning to Japan in June. St. Louie in March. It'll be good to see you again if that's the case. We plan to wrap up our pair project (ponds) soon and work on Marine studies next session. I've signed up for the teacher at sea program that NOAA runs in the summer & will take my partners to several of the local agencies that dapple in salt waters when we have the study tour. Whataboutyou? Any pair projects in the works this early in the season? Cheers, Jim McElroy

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Yes indeed Jim Mac-san,

We will both be heading back this summer. I am looking forward to seeing you and everyone else again in St. Louis.

Jim,
Cheyenne EHS

What wonderful designs of containers!
The looks is very important. So you will succeed at the activity you want to do.

I look forward to seeing the containers at March.

Shuji Nakamura
Hibiki High School

Thanks for the positive comments Nakamura-sensei. We hope that the bright and colorful containers attract the attention of our students so that they will use the containers for recycling.

We are excited about your upcoming visit in March.

Jim,
Cheyenne East HS

Jim,
Congratulations on your return to MTP!!!!! I am happy for you. Tell everyone from 2006 I said hello next month in St. Louis. Good luck!
I'll see you at the final videoconference ... it is all good ... Jane

I agree Jane, it really is all good! From what I could hear during our final conference it sounded like your space project went well. I hope you'll stay in touch.

Take care,

Jim,
Cheyenne EHS

The recycling project is off and running! Receptacles have been in place since the end of February. We will try to keep a monthly update of what was recycled on our 2007 website. It can be located here: Fukuoka Hibiki High School/Cheyenne East High School

Thanks so much to all who helped out with the project and all the new friends we have made through the year.

Jim Z.
Cheyenne EHS

Update for Earth Day.

So far at Cheyenne East High School we have recycled:

15 kg of plastic
9 kg of glass
5 kg of aluminum

Off to kind of a humble start, but last year we were recycling nothing. Our Global Science class is brainstorming ways to increase our numbers.

Jim,
Cheyenne EHS