Tina Bessias

Author's posts

An Innovation Journey begins…

Sanju (headshot)

SustainABLE DA, fueld by an Innovation Journey grant, launches August 9-10  with forty-five teachers, administrators, staff members, Parents Council representatives, and Upper School student leaders working together in Horton Hall to create a shared vision. The effort is being led by Jaimie Cloud, who has been fostering Education for Sustainability (EfS) in public and private …

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Coming soon to a classroom near you!

DA Upper School elective course, fall 2022 Instructor: Tina Bessias, DA Sustainability Coordinator and Independent Study Coordinator Students in this course will be at the center of Durham Academy’s transition to environmental sustainability. Whether you are new to sustainability or an experienced leader,  you will grow your knowledge base and develop skills that are much in …

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It’s all happening: Earth Week update

120 members of the class of 2022 are doing 50+ projects (with a bit of assistance from upperclassmen) Thursday, April 21 will be the 1st ever DA Sustainability Fair!

Earth Week 2022

Earth Week schedule

The Class of 2025 and the Sustainability Committee invite you to participate in the world’s largest secular celebration! Participate on campus: Tuesday–create a trash mural, start the 72 hour Vegan Challenge Wednesday–turn off lights wherever you can, help make chalk art in the quad, sign up for a Climate Change Workshop Thursday–participate in the Sustainability …

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US Sustainability Committee Helps the Turkey Trot Go Green!

By Ann Leininger, DA Parents Council Sustainability Liaison Special thanks to the US Sustainability Committee who helped the Parents Association host a green event this past weekend. Students performed a waste stream analysis to determine the types of waste that would be generated during the Turkey Trot. They determined the best management method for each …

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Seminar: Trees in the Forest, City, and Campus

students sitting under young trees

Friday, November 5, 8:15-3:00 Upper School and 8th Grade Students may apply This event is offered by the Durham Academy Seminar Program, which creates opportunities for students to learn about topics of current interest that are not part of the regular curriculum. This fall the focus is on trees. Why? They’re Earth’s largest, longest living …

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Parents Council seeks to Minimize Waste

Rinal and Connor at PC Open House

Collaborates with student Sustainability Committee By Ann Leininger, DA Parents Council Sustainability Liaison This school year, Parents Council volunteers are excited to get back to what we do best:  planning events for our entire DA community to attend.  The Turkey Trot, Used Book Sale and Picnic give families an opportunity to connect and engage with …

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Our Home

Image of Earth from space

The recent string of extreme weather events got me thinking about home. I mean “home” as in the Greek oikos (like the yogurt), which is the root of “ecology“: the study of our home. Today we share our home with 7.7 billion people. We tend to focus on troubles and conflicts, but the dominant story …

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