Parent's Corner

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Your child is about to begin participating in a unique science education program that will transform the way your family thinks about and uses energy. PEAK Student Energy Actions was developed to teach students how to become Smart Energy Managers in their homes and at school. Your child’s school believes that PEAK is an important part of your child’s education. Starting in your home, you and your child can discover practical solutions that will save energy and reduce your energy bill.

• Empower your child with an ethic of sustainable energy management that lasts a lifetime.
• Demonstrate practical applications of math, science, and technology.
• Promote the four PEAK Energy Actions:

1. Shifting Use Off Peak Demand Time, 
2. Shrinking Energy Use by Cutting Waste, 
3. Exploring Renewable Energy, and 
4. Plugging Into New Technology.

• Reduce energy consumption in your home and at your child’s school.

How you fit into this equation… your first homework assignment!

1. Take the Energy Challenge! Many lessons in the PEAK curriculum involve students’ measuring, tracking, and evaluating electrical and natural gas usage in their own homes. Students will visit our website to create models of their homes and to calculate past and current energy use. Please note that the electric and natural gas rates that your child will be using are for demonstrative purposes only and may not reflect current utility rates.



2. Get involved! Students will be presented with the opportunity to enter PEAK contests throughout the year. Each contest will task your child with demonstrating ways to be more energy efficient. Enhance your child’s learning by encouraging their participation. Your child’s teacher will be informed of new contests or you can check on-line to view the most recent contests. Your child may be the next PEAK contest winner.



3. Support the Home Energy Action Plan! As your child gathers information on energy usage in you household, your child may create a customized Home Energy Action Plan. Once you have a picture of your household’s current energy usage, your child may try some new energy management scenarios that could include: changes in behavior or changes in technology. During this time, information on incentive programs provided by your utility may be presented to you as a part of the program. Over the next few months, as your family’s plan is implemented, you may very well begin to see energy savings!