Since its inception, Hilltop Montessori School has emphasized sustainability and environmental stewardship as it directly relates to our mission, “to provide a high-quality, Montessori education in an environment that fosters a child’s love of learning and a respect for self, others, community and the world.” Housed in a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)-certified building by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) and located on approximately six acres of wooded area in the Town of Mt Laurel, Hilltop strives to teach global responsibility throughout each child’s day, complementing Maria Montessori’s cosmic curriculum. Some of our current sustainability initiatives and components include:

The Richard Grandey Teaching Kitchen-Modeled after Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Teaching Kitchen, the Richard Grandey Teaching Kitchen will be a multi-use space for the community of Mt Laurel and Hilltop Montessori School. Serving all natural and locally grown food, the students will have the option of a fresh, nutritious (but still kid-friendly) lunch prepared on site. After hours, the kitchen will be able to accommodate events in the space for those in the Mt Laurel community who need the facility. The teaching kitchen will be large enough to accommodate students in small groups who will have hands-on activities, integrating science and math to food preparation in keeping with the Montessori model.

Landscape Design and the National Wildlife Federation-Hilltop uses rain barrels among our outdoor classroom areas for rainwater collection, which is then used to nurture the plants in our gardens. Minimal concrete and pervious paving on the property allows for less impact on local sewer systems. Excessive rain run-off from the property is directed to a bio-swale, where it percolates and returns to the water table. Purposeful landscaping that includes an emphasis on native plants, and does not include sod, requires less water and directly highlights to the children the beautiful native plants of Alabama. Natural “butterfly bushes” and other native areas surrounding the school attract local wildlife and encourage an ecosystem on campus that allows the children interaction with nature throughout the day. The outdoor classroom environments are also certified as natural wildlife habitats by the National Wildlife Federation.

Mamma Rainbow’s Deep Roots Gardening Nutrition Program courtesy of the Dunbar Family
Hilltop Montessori School students participate in gardening organic and fresh vegetables outside of each classroom, and the harvested produce is integrated into the children’s practical life experiences, food preparation and nutritious snacks. Through this outdoor learning experience, the children are exposed to the benefits of botany, the seed-to-plate relationship and the uniqueness of being able to prepare and eat what they grow. Good nutrition is emphasized, and the students regularly dine on Swiss chard, tomatoes, okra and other foods from their outdoor classroom areas. Hilltop’s program is listed as part of the Edible School Yard Project at: http://edibleschoolyard.org/program/mamma-rainbows-deep-roots-gardening-program-courtesy-dunbar-family

Green Houses and Light Boxes

Donated by our Parent Teacher Organization, a greenhouse in our garden area helps to facilitate further growth of our vegetation, particularly in the winter months. Light boxes grace our classrooms, where even our smallest students watch plants grow to be large enough to move outdoors.

Dyson Air Blade Hand Dryers
In an effort to reduce paper waste, Dyson airblade hand dryers are used in some of our restroom facilities. With less paper towel waste and a more efficient design, good hand washing is emphasized, but care is taken to demonstrate the benefit of paperless hand drying.

The Agape Apiary in honor of Susan Nelson & Cindi Stehr 
We have an apiary on site that is tended by several of our staff members who are apprentice bee keepers and by one student who is trained in the art of beekeeping. The honeybees have been a great addition to campus, and the students have enjoyed learning the benefits of having bees on site. Fresh honey is integrated as part of the children’s snacks as it is available, and learning more about the process of the hives, the life cycle of the bee and the precautions necessary to beekeeping has added excitement to the students’ environmental curriculum.

The Butterfly Peace Garden, courtesy of the Wilensky Family

The school’s backyard campus is adjacent to a bioswale retention area that will be developed as a butterfly garden for future students and residents of Mt Laurel to enjoy  butterflies and butterfly bushes that are native to Alabama. The Butterfly Peace Garden is being developed courtesy of the Wilensky Family as one of the many improvements occurring with the Phase Three Expansion.

Use of Environmentally Friendly Products
As with other schools, daily cleaning is a must, and our staff uses environmentally friendly cleaning products for a more healthy environment for the children. Carpets are steamed annually using natural products, and the older students are encouraged to clean up using healthier methods that have less potential to aggravate breathing issues such as asthma and allergies. With less toxic cleaning materials being used in the building, along with our state-of-the-art HVAC unit, which constantly brings in fresh air, the building is light, healthy and clean, offering not only a beautiful, but a healthy working environment for the students and other stakeholders in our community.

LEED Certification
We are especially proud of our beautiful, healthful building. Both Phase One and Phase Two of our facility encompass LEED performance products and design. Some of these include:

• Stone siding that was harvested and reused on-site
• High-performance windows and doors made out of anodized aluminum with operable vents, ventilation for indoor quality and thermal break for added efficiency
• High-albedo TPO membrane roof and high-albedo, dimensional asphalt shingles, which reflect nearly all harmful solar radiation, reducing heat build-up
• Atlas Roofing ACFoam® CrossVent® ACUltra, HCFC Free “Green” Poly- iso, which promotes exceptional roof insulation
• Flooring that is made from recycled or renewable products such as Marmoleum and recycled glass tile
• Bonded Logic “Ultra Touch” Recycled Denim Batt Insulation
• Sensor lighting with daylight and automatically controlled artificial light levels equipped with occupancy sensors which turn the lights on and off
• HVAC Fabric Duct, which is an allergen- and dust-free method of delivering clean, fresh outside air
• “Eco-Spec” paint, which exceeds VOC standards for a healthy and gas-free indoor environment
• High-performance glass that provides additional insulation and blocks harmful radiation while providing clear views
• North-facing clerestory windows provide optimal day lighting in the center of the building where the perimeter windows cannot reach. This contributes to the daylight that is provided for more than 75% of the spaces in the facility. This also helps us achieve the 20.9% savings above the standard energy model for a building of this size.

Recycle and Reuse
Our lunch trays are made out of sugarcane fiber, which is 100% biodegradable, and our lunch waste is used in worm farming and composting bins on the property. Hilltop also implements a comprehensive recycling program throughout the school, in every classroom and office space. From paper to aluminum to plastic, bins are placed around the school to encourage participation from all of the building’s occupants, from the 18-month-old students to the adults. Families who wish to participate in bringing the school’s recycling to local plants are encouraged to do so to make the cycle even more meaningful for their children.

Green Spaces
Hilltop Montessori School is located in The Town of Mt Laurel, and we share the town’s green common areas, including but not limited to the athletic field, the basketball courts, the community playground and the library. With the generous commitment to the school, Mt Laurel also permits our older children to hike to Spoonwood Lake for studies on ecology, recreation or to simply enjoy the beautiful community surroundings as part of physical education and science studies. The lively and bustling town center boasts local restaurants and stores that our students and their families enjoy before and after school hours.

Environmental Education Grants and Community Outreach
Hilltop Montessori School has received several grants from organizations supporting our environmental education initiative, including the “Whole Kids Foundation” (Whole Foods), two from Legacy, one from the American Montessori Society Ursula Thrush Peace Seed Program and support from private donations. The peace garden contains edible plants representative of each country of origin of each child enrolled at the school. These countries include Russia, China, South America, Vietnam, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Thailand, India, Hong Kong and Great Britain. The kindergarten students have created permanent flags representing each country to mark the gardens. Additionally, two Legacy grants have provided a native plant trail on the property, maintained by our Cub Scout troop, and hands-on environmental education units in our lower elementary classrooms.

In keeping with our mission, the school also continues to host community outreach events, including a “Deep Roots Gardening Dinner,” which brings together the school’s stakeholders for a farm table–themed dinner. With Hilltop Montessori School’s emphasis on community, environmental education and healthy living, our students truly live and breathe the school’s mission.