A group of environmentally conscious Grade 4 to 8 students at St. Noel Chabanel Catholic Elementary School in Wasaga Beach is hoping their efforts will pay off with an Ontario EcoSchool designation.

By June, they should know if the school rates a bronze, silver or gold status.

"We have to document how the school is doing with waste management and energy conservation," explained one of the EcoTeam teacher leaders, Siobhan McKee.

Other teachers guiding the students are Rachel Dufort, Ron Degagne, Cynthia Soloneka and Lyne Lamontagne.

In warm weather, the EcoTeam planted trees to help green up the school grounds.

Currently the team is visiting classrooms to do waste audits, checking if students are disposing items in the proper bins. Among the many eco-friendly activities encouraged with students is helping save trees by using both sides of sheets of paper.

The EcoTeam kids also check to see that computers are switched off when not in use, that vents are clear and that lights are flicked off as classrooms empty.

The team fills out tracking sheets, tallies them for four weeks and presents the results at monthly student assemblies.

To become certified, a school must demonstrate achievement in waste minimization, energy conservation, and ecological literacy and ground greening.