St. Leonard Environment Club

A huge thank you to the Canadian Wildlife Federation / Fédération canadienne de la faune for gifting the St. Leonard Environment Club 40 pollinator plants to plant in our school gardens. Pollinator plants are vital because they provide essential food and habitat for bees, butterflies and other wildlife. By sustaining these pollinators, these plants directly enable the reproduction of over 80% of the world's flowering plants and are responsible for producing one out of every three bites of food we eat.

Here’s a quick update on the OCSB Battery Recycling Challenge standings:

St. Leonard is currently in the lead with 12 buckets of batteries, with St. Bernadette close behind at 10 buckets. In third place is St. Theresa with 6 buckets.

The contest closes on Friday, June 12. Keep up the great work everyone!

St. Leonard Elementary School in Manotick, Ontario has been a certified Gold school by Ecoschools Canada the last 4 years in a row. This year we are aiming to make it 5. From our battery recycling initiative to the use of green bins and light monitoring to tree planting and building and maintaining homes for pollinators and birds, we are dedicated to helping make the world a greener place.

Do you like turtles? Of course you do.

From April 24 to 27, help contribute to the City Nature Challenge. All you need to do is go outside, find some nature and submit your photos of turtles, birds, mushrooms and more to the iNaturalist app.

Learn more about the City Nature Challenge and how to participate: https://bit.ly/4ciFEh0

This Earth Month, we want to shine a spotlight on something truly special happening across our schools. 🌱

When a province-wide battery recycling program was discontinued, students at St. Leonard School refused to let the momentum stop. The St. Leonard Environment Club stepped up and launched the OCSB Battery Recycling Challenge, inviting elementary schools to compete to collect the most batteries and keep them out of our landfills.

Today, 15 schools are participating, new schools are joining every few weeks, and students are tracking the leaderboard with excitement and pride. These young people are not just learning about environmental management. They are living it.

Read the full story on our website and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today. 💚♻️

What if trees could speak? 🌳

At St. Monica School, our youngest learners are asking that very question and taking action.

Grade 1 students have taken on the role of Forest Protectors, studying the trees in their schoolyard, noticing changes, asking thoughtful questions, and learning how to care for the land around them. It is hands-on, meaningful learning that builds confidence, curiosity, and a real sense of responsibility.

This Earth Week, they will share their learning with their school community at a Tree Expo. Take a few minutes to read their story. It is one worth slowing down for.

https://www.ocsb.ca/2026/04/15/we-speak-for-the-trees-at-st-monica-school/

Here’s a quick update on the OCSB Battery Recycling Challenge standings. St. Leonard is currently in the lead with 9 buckets of batteries, with St. Bernadette close behind at 8 buckets.

We’re also excited to share that St. Gianna has joined the challenge, bringing our total participation to 15 schools!

It’s time for our monthly check-in for the Battery Recycling Challenge!

St. Leonard is currently in the lead with 5 buckets.

In second place, we have a tie between St. Bernadette and Holy Cross, each with 2 buckets collected.

In third place, it's St. Theresa with 1.5 buckets.

A warm welcome to St. Augustine who just signed up and are now part of the challenge! We now have 13 schools participating.

Keep up the amazing work, keep collecting those household batteries and let’s see who will take the top spot by June! The St. Leonard Environment Club has created a trophy you can display in your trophy case for the winner. Thank you for supporting this eco-friendly initiative!