As the season’s chilly weather sends thermostats skyrocketing, three east-end schools have been recognized by their board for cutting back on energy costs.

St. Matthew Catholic High School, St. Clare Catholic School and Divine Infant Catholic School are among the 20 schools being honoured by the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) for meeting or exceeding the board’s energy management plan target reductions, explains Orléans-Cumberland trustee Stephen Blais, with each receiving $500 to funnel back in to sustainable programming or projects.

In its third year, the OCSB’s energy management plan has saved $1.9 million in energy costs, bringing total savings since the initiative’s inception to $5.3 million, he continues, making reductions even as the board added 2.3 per cent in new school space.

“It’s a huge accomplishment, and it’s only getting better,” Blais says. “It might be pennies per item, but those pennies add up over time.”

The program is a significant one for the board in two respects, he adds.

First is that the initiative has saved more than $5 million across the board, Blais recounts, money that is injected back into schools for anything from textbooks to building repairs.

In addition, he continues, by participating in the program OCSB schools are doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, their carbon footprint and “to ensure we have a sustainable planet.”

The energy management plan has been a major success thus far, Blais says, especially 2007-2008’s savings of $2 million in the face of lower than average temperatures and massive snowfall. The initiative’s achievements so far equal taking approximately 2,800 cars off the road, he explains, and have been reached by simple tasks like closing doors, shutting off lights and unplugging appliances.

“It’s fantastic news to hear schools in Orléans are leading the way,” Blais continues, adding that last year St. Peter Catholic High School was also recognized by the board.

That Divine Infant has been honoured twice “is exceptional … they need a really big pat on the back,” he says, especially with an older building – meaning different insulation and being more prone to leaking energy than newer schools.

“We were thrilled,” says principal Kimberly Giles of the school’s second recognition. “It’s something we’re very pleased about, because it helps both the local and global community.”

Leadership from staff members like Divine Infant’s head caretaker, Greg Harmer, is what has made the program a success at the school, she continues.

“It’s a community event,” Giles explains. “Our target was certainly achievable, but ambitious. We want to set the bar higher (every year).”

Making the initiative relatable and accessible for students was another way to reach the energy reduction goals, she says, by integrating environmentally-friendly best practices into their everyday school routines.

“We tried to bring it down to the students’ level, as well as something staff can do,” Giles continues, including easy tasks like shutting off lights and computers when not in use, or closing doors to retain heat. “We do the best as educators by modelling it.”

The next step is hoping the new practices learned at school translate at home, she explains, as well as life lessons for the future.

“Everything we do as individuals impacts the world in some way,” Giles adds.