Sustainability

In the beginning...

Architect Jean Labatut designed a campus in 1963 that was significantly ahead of its time, incorporating many concepts that would later become the criteria in the United States Green Building Council’s LEED green building certifications.

Our 55-acre campus is largely natural with a very small area that requires regular upkeep or irrigation. This has preserved the natural habitat and significantly reduced resource consumption. Our driveways and parking areas are woven into the landscape and have reduced the heat island effect of large, unshaded areas of paving. The layout has also preserved the natural topography and salient features of the site. The building itself brings the outside in with natural light in learning environments and incredible views of the landscape. The materials Labatut chose for the building -- concrete, brick and glass -- have extensive life spans and require minimal maintenance and upkeep. Perhaps most importantly, the infusion of the outdoors in our learning environment leads to the appreciation and respect for nature so apparent in our school identity.

Our mission

The Stuart community is committed to advancing our knowledge of sustainable practices and to implementing programs that align with our mission. In keeping with the Goals and Criteria of the Sacred Heart, we educate our students to be informed, responsible and active global citizens who act as respectful stewards of our earth's resources, ever exploring their relationship to all creation. We are committed to providing a safe, healthy and welcoming school with practices that reflect fiscally responsible, environmentally ethical decision making and accountability, through:
   •   Educational programming about stewardship and sustainability  
   •   Student, faculty, and staff participation in environmental efforts  
   •   Student leadership in sustainable development  
   •   Utilization of energy-efficient, renewable/ recyclable materials  
   •   Expanded recycling programs and use of recycled products Consumption awareness and waste reduction  
   •   Green practices in all aspects of campus life including construction, dining services, printing and communications  
   •   Ongoing research into further opportunities to improve overall environmental impact  

Sustainability Snapshot

School Leadership and Planning

   1.   Creation of a Sustainability mission statement
   2.   Creation of the Sister Joan Kirby Sustainability Fund with a $200,000 contribution that is used to fund projects focused on energy efficient infrastructure or sustainability infused educational endeavors.
   3.   The creation of a leadership level position that manages the school’s sustainability driven initiatives.
   4.   Supporting sustainable initiatives such as the Pay4Performance energy conservation projects and investing in scheduled maintenance that targets building envelope efficiency and resource reduction strategies.

Energy Efficiency and Waste Reduction

   1.   Stuart conducts a regular Comprehensive Energy Audit to ensure efficiency goals are achieved.
   2.   Stuart has completed two Pay4Performance projects through the New Jersey Clean Energy program resulting in a 45% reduction in energy consumption over the last 5 years.
   3.   We continue the assessment and conversion of equipment beyond the P4P program with high efficiency, highly controllable equipment and systems. Stuart collects and analyzes building performance data, seeking to find ways to increase efficiency and improve the conditions of the learning environments.
   4.   Motion-sensor lighting is utilized in classrooms and common areas, including the gym, to automatically turn off lights when rooms are unoccupied.
   5.   To reduce the amount of paper waste, a new printing system was implemented that requires students and faculty to log in before running print jobs.
   6.   Stuart utilizes a single stream recycling program, diverting a high percentage of our paper, cardboard, aluminum and steel waste away from landfills.
   7.   Stuart also utilizes a construction waste recycling program to ensure materials removed from the school during construction activities are recycled.
   8.   Stuart donates furniture removed from service to groups that include, school’s serving underserved populations, veterans support groups and Haitian relief services.

Healthy School Environments

   1.   Naturally daylit interiors with large views to the outdoors create an environment of connection with the world.
   2.   Construction and maintenance projects utilize the United States Green Building Council’s LEED credit system in setting project goals. In addition to high efficiency systems, and the use of recycled or recyclable materials, Stuart is committed to the use of no-VOC paints and other low emitting materials in products such as carpeting and furniture.
   3.   The development of a Green Cleaning Strategy ensures the processes and products used in cleaning our school daily promote a healthy indoor environment.
   4.   Stuart installed 9 bottle filler water stations with water filtration throughout the school, giving students and staff access to drinking water throughout the day.
   5.   Nearly every classroom has been refurnished in the past 5 years, resulting in modern rooms without classroom clutter to facilitate better cleaning and less accumulation of dust and debris, while also being aesthetically pleasing.

Food and Nutrition

   1.   Conversion to Flik foodservice with a highly managed nutrition program and healthy food choices.
   2.   A significant reduction in food and beverage choices in disposable containers.
   3.   Stuart has eliminated the use of disposable plates, cups and utensils. To offset the increased need for dish cleaning, we installed a high efficiency dishwasher utilizing heat recovery technology to reduce energy consumption by 67%, and water consumption by 58%.

Curriculum and Learning Environment

   1.   Stuart is committed to project-based learning initiatives that address an interdisciplinary, design thinking approach to solving problems rooted in environmental issues. Our PBLs occur at each division and each grade within the division.
   2.   The utilization of Google Classroom and Google Drive has replaced a lot of paper-based communication for classwork, discipline meetings, and division meetings.
   3.   Stuart has created a robust “Campus as a Lab” program, known as Labatut’s Learning Lab, that allows students and faculty the opportunity to utilize information from campus operations, data collected from around campus, and projects identified in our Campus Master Plan as the basis of group and individual study. Our connected campus allows students direct access to information such as energy use, indoor air quality, temperature, occupancy, weather data, and stream-water data through an advanced gateway developed in partnership with Intel, Dell and KMC Controls. Click here to watch KMC's case study on Stuart.
   4.   Students are involved in the development and operations of outdoor learning environments such as the STEM garden and chicken coop.
   5.   Student clubs, such as Branches, Charity Water, and Envirothon, raise awareness about human impacts to the environment and make presentations at school meetings to inspire individuals to take actions and become better environmental stewards.