With Earth Day just around the corner, six Frenship ISD schools joined a statewide effort to protect Texas land, water, and air by participating in H-E-B's School Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge. Student councils and campus leadership teams spearheaded the initiative, encouraging their classmates to take part and make a difference.
One of Frenship ISD’s core values is to inspire students to take a deeper look at their world and actively seek ways to make it better. The H-E-B Recycling Challenge brought that value to life by giving students a hands-on opportunity to make a positive impact. The challenge encouraged students across the district to think about the role recycling plays in their everyday lives.
“Frenship believes in serving others,” said Kelly Eleuterius, principal at Bennett Elementary. “We wanted our students to participate in a service project where they had the opportunity to give back and be a part of something bigger than themselves. It is important for students to be aware of their impact on the environment, and hopefully, we have helped them create some long-term habits.”
The student councils and campus leadership teams worked tirelessly throughout the statewide initiative to collect, count, and track the recycled bags each week. Several campuses encouraged participation through friendly competitions between classes and grade levels, sharing weekly updates on campus news broadcasts to keep everyone informed and inspired.
Through the collaborative efforts of six schools, Frenship ISD recycled over 42,000 plastic bags. This made a positive impact on the community and helped students understand how much landfill waste can be spared through recycling.
Each campus played an important role in supporting Frenship ISD’s recycling initiative. Students at Westwind Elementary collected an impressive 18,458 bags, while Bennett Elementary contributed 13,861. Oak Ridge Elementary added 5,935 bags, Frenship Middle School gathered 2,067, Reese Education Center collected 1,325, and Alcove Trails Middle School brought in 722. Together, their efforts reflected a shared commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Haley Kirk, assistant principal at Westwind Elementary, explained that they joined the statewide challenge to give students a real-world opportunity to make an impact.
“Recycling can sometimes feel abstract for kids,” said Kirk. “But this gave them a tangible goal and showed them how small actions can add up to something big. It’s been so rewarding to see our students stepping up as leaders and taking responsibility for something that impacts our entire community.”
This initiative served as a powerful reminder for students of the impact humans have on the environment. Seeing thousands of plastic bags collected and knowing it represents only a fraction of what ends up in landfills left a lasting impression. Understanding that even small actions like recycling can make a meaningful difference is a valuable lesson they’ll carry with them.