Cabrillo Middle School General Information Staff School Map Cabrillo Code Calendar School Bulletin Newsletter Q Parent Connect P T O PAC School Site Council Cabrillo Counseling Ventura USD Student Store Student Animation Health Info Student Connect Teacher Connect Parent Resource Student Resource Teacher Resource Classroom Website Music Department Student Resource Page Physical Ed Library Spirit Days School Clubs Intramurals Way to Go Save The Planet Community Service Opportunities Dr. Rosie Online Safety Anti Bully Messages Internet Activities	Save The Planet SAVE THE    PLANET ~ We do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? –Selth  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ USE RECHARGABLE BATTERIES - Each year 15 billion batteries produced and sold and most of them are disposable alkaline batteries. Only a fraction of those are recycled. Buy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. Although it requires an upfront investment, it is one that should pay off in no time. And on Christmas morning when all the stores are closed? You'll be fully stocked.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE - Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.   (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ SKIP THE COFFEE STIRRER – Each year, Americans throw away 138 billion straws and  stirrers. But skipping the stirrer doesn't mean drinking your coffee black. Simply put your sugar   and cream in first, and then pour in the coffee, and it should be well mixed.  Determined to stir? Break off a piece of pasta from the cupboard. You can nibble after using it, compost, or throw away with less guilt.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE— Answering machines use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And when they break, they're just one more thing that goes into the landfill. If all answering machines in U.S. homes were eventually replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE – Most software comes on a compact disc, and more than billion compact discs of all types are sold annually. That's a huge amount of waste, not to mention  the associated packaging. Another bonus to downloading your software is that it's often available  for download at a later date when you upgrade to a new computer or are attempting to recover from a crash.  (Mrs. Larson)  SAVE THE    PLANET ~ FLY WITH AN E-TICKET – The cost of processing a paper ticket is approximately $10, while processing an e-ticket costs only $1. In the near future, e-tickets will be the only option, saving  the airline industry $3 billion a year. In addition to financial savings, the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is commendable.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ PLASTIC BAGS SUCK—Each year the U.S. uses 84 billion plastic bags, a significant portion of the 500 billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain. Stronger, reusable bags are an inexpensive and readily available option.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ GO TO A CAR WASH—Professional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. If everyone in the U.S. who washes their car themselves took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water. OR use a pail, spray off your car once, and clean it with a sponge and water from the pail instead of keeping the hose on. (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ GIVE IT AWAY  Before you throw something away, think about if someone else might need it. Either donate to a charitable organization or post it on a web site designed to connect people and things, such as Freecycle.org.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING — ONLINE Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, call to stop phone book delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dumpsites. And if you still receive the book, don't forget to recycle your old volumes. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS— Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ CUT DOWN ON JUNK MAIL—The average American receives 40 pounds of junk mail each year, destroying 100 millions trees. There are many services that can help reduce the clutter in your mailbox, saving trees and the precious space on your countertops.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ KEEP YOUR FIREPLACE DAMPER CLOSED-Keeping the damper open (when you're not using your fireplace) is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney. This can add up to hundreds of dollars each winter in energy loss. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ RECYCLE ALUMINUM AND GLASS--Twenty recycled aluminum cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one. Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ “One does not sell the land people walk on." --Crazy Horse SAVE THE    PLANET ~ RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES—The average cell phone lasts around 18 months, which means 130 million phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills, the phones and their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment. There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your phone, many which benefit noble causes. Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura is collecting used cell phones to help families stay in touch with members in the armed forces.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ PICNIC WITH A MARKER—Some time in between the artichoke dip and the coleslaw, you lost   track of your cup, and now there are a sea of matching cups on the table, one of which might be yours. The next time you picnic, set out permanent marker next to disposable dinnerware so guests can mark their cup and everyone will only use one.  Saves trash and $$.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ GREENER LAWN CARE—If you must water your lawn, do it early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. Have a few weeds? Spot treat them with vinegar (got to try that one!). Rake by hand — it is excellent exercise, and less noisy than leaf blowers.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ TURN OFF LIGHTS—Always turn off incandescent bulbs when you leave a room. Fluorescent bulbs are more affected by the number of times they are switched on and off, so turn them off when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more. You'll save energy on the bulb itself, but also on cooling costs, as lights contribute heat to a room.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~  INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP - If you stop at Starbucks or other coffee/tea/hot chocolate places bring your own reusable cup, which cuts down on waste, and keeps your drink hot longer. Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer you a discount in exchange! SAVE THE    PLANET ~ ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT: Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use! (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ BUY LOCAL—consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. Whenever possible, buy from local farmers or farmers' markets, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in.  (Mrs. Larsen)   SAVE THE    PLANET ~ SECOND-HAND DOESN'T MEAN SECOND-BEST Consider buying items from a second-hand store. Toys, bicycles, roller blades, and other age and size-specific items are quickly outgrown. Second hand stores often sell these items in excellent condition since they are used for such a short period of time. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ USE CRUISE CONTROL—Your parents paid for those extra buttons in their car, so they should put them to work!  When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Today’s gasoline prices are high, so this is a boon not only for the environment but money also. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ PLANT A TREE-- It's good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling (plant on the west side of your home), and they can also improve the value of your property.  Make it meaningful for the whole family and plant a tree every year for each member.  SAVE THE    PLANET ~TAKE A SHORTER SHOWER—Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~SAVE THE    PLANET ~ BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING WATER—you’ve heard this one before, but maybe you still do it.  You'll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop. Daily savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons--more water than folks use in the Big Apple.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~"What is this you call property? It cannot be the earth, for the land is our mother, nourishing all her children, beasts, birds, fish and all men. The woods, the streams, everything on it belongs to everybody and is for the use of all. How can one man say it belongs only to him?" -Massasoit SAVE THE    PLANET ~ BAN BATHTIME!  Bathes requires almost twice as much water as showers.  You reduce water consumption and the energy costs associated with heating the water.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ RETHINK BOTTLED WATER: Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. The EPA's standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA's standards for bottled water.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ WRAP CREATIVELY:  Reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, or make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out and use stamps or markers to create your own wrapping paper that's environmentally friendly and extra special. SAVE THE    PLANET ~ RECYCLE NEWSPAPER  There are 63 million newspapers printed each day in the U.S.Of these, 44 million, or about 69%, of them will be thrown away. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET ~ USE BOTH SIDES OF PAPER  American businesses throw away 21 million tons of paper every year, equal to 175 pounds per office worker. Set your printer's default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). And when you're finished, take them to the recycling bin.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET USE ONE LESS PAPER NAPKIN Each American uses approximately 2,200 napkins a year--around six each day. If everyone in the U.S. used one less napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year.  Don’t just grab a bunch when you go out for fast food.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET WASH IN COLD OR WARM If the U.S. switched from hot-hot cycle to warm-cold, we could save  the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Only launder when you have a full load.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK You will also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. SAVE THE    PLANET GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK.  One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. SAVE THE    PLANET HANG DRY—get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. Your clothes will fade less, jeans and t-shirts dry to look and feel like they’ve been ironed, and you'll save money. SAVE THE    PLANET RECYCLE GLASS Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water   pollution by 50 percent. If it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose. SAVE THE    PLANET DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN.  Unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort, don't pre-heat the oven. Just turn it on when you put the dish in. Also, when checking on your food, look through the oven window instead of opening the door.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET DON’T RINSE Skip rinsing dishes before using your dishwasher and save up to 20 gallons of water each load. Plus, you're saving time and the energy used to heat the additional water.(Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT – By turning off your computer instead of leaving it in  sleep mode, you can save 40 watt-hours per day. That adds up to 4 cents a day, or $14 per year.  If you don't want to wait for your computer to start up, set it to turn on automatically a few minutes before you get up.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE    PLANET CHANGE YOUR LIGHTS – If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. Don't like the color of light? Use these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms and other places where it won't irk you as much.     (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET     "Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." --Ancient Indian Proverb.  Save the planet is back again, with hints for you to help keep Mother Earth healthy, one idea at a time.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET Promoting the use of recycled material prevents the mining of virgin (new) resources that can be extremely polluting and resource-intensive.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET Urban litter, especially plastic litter, is easily transported through the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers or storm drains to the ocean.  Once in the ocean, urban litter floats with ocean currents and converges in gyres or garbage patches. SAVE THE PLANET Because they are often used away from home, beverage containers and other single-use containers are frequently littered.  Urban litter is a serious problem because it is the primary source of litter pollution in waterways.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET Recycling bottles conserves resources, reduces pollution, and saves local governments tens of millions of dollars in lower litter clean-up and waste disposal costs.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET California, a bottle bill state, will recycle a record 18 billion used beverage containers this year, or 80% of every aluminum, glass and plastic container sold.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   By recycling single-use containers, we decrease the amount of waste going into landfills or being littered, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET    Wait, fish aren’t supposed to eat plastic? Cetaceans, all sea turtle species, and a growing list of fish species have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.  When marine animals consume plastic trash, presumably mistaking it for food, this can lead to internal blockages, dehydration, starvation, and potentially death.  Cetaceans are whales, dolphins, and porpoises.  How sad!  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   As plastic particles circulate through oceans, they act as sponges for waterborne contaminants that are washed through our watersheds.  These persistent organic pollutants, called “POPs,” adsorb onto plastic pollution in high concentrations.  Plastic pollution is not a benign (harmless) material in the ocean.  Scientists are studying whether these POPs transfer to the marine organisms that mistakenly consume them.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   As more plastic trash flows from our watersheds to the sea, scientists are finding that plastic debris is accumulating in the each of the five oceanic gyres. The "Pacific Garbage Patch” is an area of plastic accumulation in the North Pacific between California and Hawaii. Studies in the Atlantic have documented plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Gyre.  (Leadership) SAVE THE PLANET   Designed to last, plastic trash in the gyre will remain for decades or longer, being pushed gently in a slow, clockwise spiral towards the center.  Most of the research on plastic trash circulating in oceanic gyres has focused on the North Pacific, but there are five major oceanic gyres worldwide, with several smaller gyres in Alaska and Antarctica.  Marine researchers don’t yet know the extent to which plastic pollution exists in the world’s oceans.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   The North Pacific Gyre, the most heavily researched for plastic pollution, spans an area roughly twice the size of the United States thought it is a fluid system, shifting seasonally in size and shape.  WOW!  Two times the size of the United States (don’t forget to add in Hawaii and Alaska)!  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Our oceans are dynamic systems, made up of complex networks of currents that circulate water around the world.  Large systems of these currents, coupled with wind and the earth’s rotation, create “gyres,” massive, slow rotating whirlpools in which plastic trash can accumulate.            (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Around the world, plastic pollution has become a growing plague, clogging our waterways, damaging marine ecosystems, and entering the marine food web.  Much of the plastic trash we generate on land flows into our oceans through storm drains and watersheds.  It falls from garbage and container trucks, spills out of trashcans, or is tossed carelessly.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   We currently recover only 5% of the plastics we produce.  What happens to the rest of it? roughly 50% is buried in landfills, some is remade into durable goods, and much of it remain “unaccounted for,” lost in the environment where it ultimately washes out to sea.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   The short-term convenience of using and throwing away plastic products carries a very inconvenient long-term truth.  These plastic water bottles, cups, utensils, electronics, toys, and gadgets we dispose of daily are rarely recycled in a closed loop.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   It is estimated that Americans go through about 100 billion plastic bags a year, or 360 bags per year for every man, woman and child in the country.  It’s so silly that we aren’t reusing these bags.  Bring them with you when shopping, bring your own bag, or—if there’s not much to carry, just take the receipt and merchandise without a bag.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Plastics do not biodegrade, but instead break down into small particles that persist in the ocean, absorb toxins, and enter our food chain through fish, sea birds and other marine life.  Yuck!  When we eat seafood, are we eating plastic?  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Up to 80% of the plastic in our oceans comes from land-based sources.  Plastics comprise up to 90% of floating marine debris.  What is out there that you “contributed”?  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   An estimated 100,000 marine mammals and up to one million sea birds die every year after ingesting or being tangled in plastic marine litter.  Gosh, it is awful to think we kill animals when we are not responsible with litter.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   The amount of plastic produced from 2000 – 2010 exceeds the amount produced during the entire last century.  Plastic is the most common type of marine litter worldwide.  Think of some things you’ve used today that are plastic—toothbrush, comb, brush, cup, binder, etc.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Spread the word.  Many clerks now ask if you want a bag—say no!  Talk to your family and friends about why it is so important to Rise Above Plastics!  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Support plastic bag bans, polystyrene foam bans and bottle recycling bills.  Get your parents involved.  Join with other students and friends.  Just because you are young doesn’t mean you can’t get people to listen!  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Recycle.  If you must use plastic, try to choose #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE), which are the most commonly recycled plastics.  Avoid plastic bags and polystyrene foam as both typically have very low recycling rates.  Next time you go to the beach, look down and you will see the shore is loaded with polystyrene foam that has photodegraded (remember that vocabulary word?). (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   See out alternatives to the plastic items that you rely on.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Go digital!  No need for plastic CDs, DVDs and jewel cases when you can buy your music and videos online.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Bring your to-go mug with you to the coffee shop, smoothie shop or restaurants that let you use  them.  This is a great way to reduce lids, plastic cups and/or plastic-lined cups.  It also saves the businesses money because they don’t have to purchase as many cups. (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Reduce everyday plastics such as sandwich bags and juice cartons by replacing them with a reusable lunch bag/box that includes a thermos.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET   Refuse single-serving packaging, excess packaging, straws, and other disposable plastics.  Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use at BBQ’s, potlucks or take-out restaurants.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET    There are easy things you can do to reduce your ‘plastic footprint’ and help keep plastics out of marine environment. Choose to reuse when it comes to shopping bags and bottled water.  Cloth bags and metal or glass reusable bottles are available locally at great prices.  We’ve all seen Trader Joes bags, and Chico bags fold up and hook on to your backpack. (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET     Be a leader or helper at Cabrillo and have a big impact by using our recycling program and support a plastic reduction program or a plastic reduction ordinance with your Ventura’s city council.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET The Rise Above Plastics Grassroots Goals: Get involved with our local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation or spread the word to friends and family about the problems with plastics.  Just becoming aware of how we use and waste plastic bags will make most people use less!     (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET The Rise Above Plastics Grassroots Goals:  we encourage YOU to help address these global issues locally and with plastic reductions at home, school, work, and for your entire community.  Look for Rise Above Plastics on Surfrider Foundation Chapter website or following “RAP” on Facebook / Twitter. SAVE THE PLANET The rise above plastics mission is to reduce the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics.  If you watch and listen to the news, you will hear about the push to ban plastic bags in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET Plastic—it’s all around us.  Plastics help us to manufacture, package and ship goods more easily, for less money, and in some cases more safely than ever before.  But plastics pose a significant threat to our planet as well.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET        Plastic—it’s all around us.  It’s in our homes, our offices, our vehicles, our yards, our playgrounds.  We use it to package food, bottle products, bag produce, make dinnerware and utensils, make toys.  Look around the room.  How many objects can you count that are made from plastic.  Start with your chair!  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET     Simple local actions can help make an impact to solve this global issue.  Help us in protecting the coast and rise above plastics!  For Community Service hours, check out the resources on these 'RAP' program pages, and then get involved with your local Surfrider Foundation Chapter to help protect the coasts and oceans. Remember: think globally, act locally.  Each of us makes an impact by doing our part.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET ~ After plastics enter the marine environment, they slowly photo degrade into smaller pieces that marine life can mistake for food, sometimes with fatal results.  Ocean gyres (systems of circulating ocean currents—a great new vocabulary word!) concentrate plastic pollution in five main areas of the world’s ocean and various research groups are bringing back alarming data documenting plastics impacts. Our library has books on this if you are curious.  (Mrs. Larsen) SAVE THE PLANET       Save the Planet is back!  We will be discussing the problems caused by plastic bags – you know those things we get at the grocery store and the mall.  Too often, the bags end up as litter, blowing around, only to end up in the ocean where animals pay the ultimate price.  The ensuing information is gleaned from the Surfrider Foundation.  The ocean is turning into a plastic soup.  Most plastic pollution at sea starts out on land as litter on beaches, streets and sidewalks.  Rain or overwatering flushes that litter through a storm drain system or directly to creeks, streams and rivers that leads to the ocean.  Think Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers.
Cabrillo Middle School - 1426 E. Santa Clara St. - Ventura - CA - 93001 - (805) 641 - 5155