Montessori rewarded for its green practices

Students and parents at Mountain View Montessori in south Reno received a special treat on Sunday when Warner Brothers recording artist Missy Higgins performed a private concert to thank the school for its "green" efforts.

"It ended up being just one of the most beautiful nights," said Charis Derbyshire, development director for Mountain View Montessori. "She was excited about what we are doing, and she loved the kids. She was so warm and sweet."

Higgins, an internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter, is best known in her native Australia, where she has twice had the No. 1 album and has received seven ARIA Awards -- Australia's version of the Grammy.

She participated in the Live Earth concert earlier this summer and has been doing small concerts across the U.S.

Higgins is an advocate of "green" living. During her U.S. tour, she and her crew have been traveling in Toyota Prius vehicles.

Her stop at Mountain View Montessori included a tour of the school to see its environmental practices.

The school was awarded a GreenPower Grant from the Desert Research Institute, Sierra Pacific Power Co. and the state of Nevada for its interest in and commitment to renewable energy development and education.

The school also encourages its students to use reusable containers when bringing lunch and snacks to school.

Higgins and a film crew from Warner Brothers shot footage of her visit to the school for use in a documentary about her that is being produced to support the Live Earth CD/DVD release on Nov. 20.

"She did a whole tour of the school with the videographers," Derbyshire said. "They had a boom with the big microphone on it. It was really neat."

Higgins then played a number of songs, including her latest release, "Steer," for the 200 parents and students who attended the event.

Families brought homemade meals for Higgins and her crew.

"They were really appreciative," said Derbyshire, whose daughter, Chani, and son, Derby, attend the school. "It was just a good fit for everybody. I think it was kind of fun for everybody, too. This is a great honor for a Reno school to be recognized like this. It was neat to see Missy be so excited about the things we're doing."