Wayne Elementary students get an enlightening experience

Paula Valleskey got a workout in the middle of her work day Wednesday.

The Wayne Elementary fifth-grade teacher, clad in a blue pinstriped suit, hopped on an "energy bike" to demonstrate to students how pedaling can create enough energy to power a light bulb.

"This is hard," she mouthed as she pedaled.

Valleskey's stunt was part of an energy conservation assembly organized for the school's 90 fifth-grade students. The assembly was paid for by a $1,200 grant from BP Corp.'s Fabric of America fund, she said.

Annemarie Rexroad, an educator from School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Energy, or SCARCE, talked to the group minimizing their carbon footprint.

"The best way to help the environment is to have as little impact as possible," she said.

Little ways to do that include turning off the light when you leave a room, carpooling or riding a bike, and taking shorter showers, she said.

"Not only do we have to reduce, re-use and recycle, but we also have to re-think our actions."

Rexroad explained the difference between incandescent and compact florescent light bulbs by letting several students take a turn on the energy bike. Thomas Cosmi and Alec Harris each huffed and puffed to light up four incandescent light bulbs.

The effort exerted to light up a compact fluorescent bulb was much easier, Cosmi said.

In addition to Wednesday's assembly, recent BP grants also have allowed the school to purchase a renewable energy kit, science education materials, and plan a spring field trip to Fermilab.