Veronica Deutsch has been teaching her class of third graders at Oak Street Elementary about the importance of conserving water.

Oak Street Elementary students won matching “Water Star” T-shirts from the West Basin Municipal Water District

And the students now have matching “Water Star” T-shirts to spread that message, thanks to classmate Israel Sanchez and the West Basin Municipal Water District.

The South Bay water agency recently supplied Israel’s whole class with the shirts and Ms. Deutsch with a $100 gift card for school supplies after Israel’s name was drawn for a raffle prize. To qualify, he’d successfully solved a mystery riddle, installed water conservation devices in his home, and submitted his household’s estimated savings to the water supply agency.

West Basin estimates that the students collectively can save more than 600 gallons of water per day.

In addition to Israel, two other conservation-minded students of Ms. Deutsch received recognition recently. Luz Banuelos and Christopher Noguera were selected as winners in a student art competition sponsored by the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, the agency that manages the region’s groundwater supply.

Ms. Deutsch’s class took a field trip to the Water Replenishment District’s Groundwater Festival, where Luz Banuelos and Christopher Noguera won a student art contest.

Both students received their awards at the Replenishment District’s Groundwater Festival, held Saturday, March 15 in Lakewood. About 20 of Ms. Deutsch’s students along with some parents attended the festival as a field trip.

Ms. Deutsch plans on continuing to teach her present and future students the importance of water conservation.

Just recently, on March 14, she submitted 30 pieces of art work to the West Basin Municipal Water District’s “Water is Life” Student Art Contest. She hopes one or more of her students will win this contest, too.