Local middle school students create “From Flush to Fertilizer” books

After the Guardian Angels Catholic School (GACS) in Clearwater visited South Cross Bayou Water Reclamation Facility in November 2017 to learn about the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) behind the facility’s treatment processes, they continued their learning in the classroom. Students created posters, brochures, and children’s books to demonstrate what they experienced and learned on the tour. Walking through the halls of GACS, you’ll find many of these artifacts as well as a bulletin board inside of the entrance to the middle school building that includes photos from the field trip, a copy of the Resource Book (tour book), and hand-drawn maps of the facility.

Two of the books written and illustrated by students at GACS were later presented to Pinellas County Utilities by Judy Deeley, a teacher at GACS. Both of the books, titled “From Flush to Fertilizer” follow the treatment processes at South Cross Bayou either from the perspective of Flo, a waterdrop, or water flowing through creatively-named equipment (i.e. Gary the Grinder). Both books were a team effort; eight students in grades 7 and 8 completed the books.

Partnering with Pinellas County Utilities, copies of the books were published, bound, and several copies were presented to the student authors at GACS by South Cross Bayou’s Education Coordinator, Shea Dunifon. GACS said they plan to keep copies of the books in all of their classrooms as well as a copy in their student library.

"Cross curricular experiences, such as was offered at South Cross, are an effective means of teaching students science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts. We hope the public enjoys how our students demonstrated what they learned and how creatively they shared their understanding of the water treatment process," said Judy Deeley of GACS.