The Green School Connections Committee works to strengthen sustainability education and environmental action across Newton Public Schools. Our goal is to connect families, educators, students, and community partners to support greener, healthier schools. Click here to read more about their efforts in their newsletter.
If you have a story idea, school update, or would like to get involved, please contact:
Alexander Lee, alee@alexanderplee.com | Parent Bigelow MS ’27 and NNHS ’27
Phoebe Cushman, MD, phoebecushman@gmail.com | Parent Brown MS ’26
Sunwoo Kahng, sunwoo@greennewton.org | Green Newton, newsletter editor
The Green School Connections Committee
School(s) Spotlight
What’s happening: Led by Newton North senior Cindy Qiao, uneaten or unwanted food from elementary and middle school cafeterias is collected and redistributed through weekly snack bags to students in need or to the Newton Community freedge. Along with pantry donations, they provide snack bags to 100 Newton students weekly across 17 schools. Green Captains help with collection of items like apples and cheddar goldfish which then get picked up by a parent and ferried to the site where the packages are assembled. Interested in volunteering? Volunteer with Cindy and her crew. Let’s get all 17 schools being served to participate!
Featured Schools: Bigelow Middle School, FA Day Middle School, Underwood Elementary School, and Williams Elementary School.
Project or Focus Area: Food Diversion Program
“At Bigelow, students know that the fruit they don’t want will go to someone who needs it, and learn that food diversion helps all of us.”
–Crista Cavvichio, Green Captain at Bigelow Middle School
“We at Underwood couldn’t have been more excited to join in the Food Diversion Programs efforts, which helps save good food from being thrown away. Instead, it is shared with people in our community, mainly our students, who need it most.”
–Jean Van Putten, Green Captain at Underwood Elementary School
Image: Cindy Qiao © 2025 | Food Diversion Program bag and cooler