Oh Very Young, What Will You Leave Us This Time?
Yonkers Students Put Their Mark on Earth Day

Students, teachers and families throughout the District are teaming up with environmental, educational, cultural and community groups during Earth Day and Arbor Day to demonstrate their responsibility to preserving and protecting the resources of our earth. Student art to the right is also featured in the Yonkers Public Schools Annual Calendar Gallery.

Here's just a sampling of what our students are up to:

Riverside High School for Engineering and Design

The District's first environmentally friendly high school, designed to prepare students to completely adapt to change, think critically and creatively, model ethical integrity, and value democratic ideals takes the lead on Earth Day with a celebration that includes these demonstrations and activities

• Bio-Diesel Fuel machine
• Green Roof Design display
• Vine Cutting in conjunction with the Saw Mill River Coalition
• Presentation on Yonkers Waterfront Development Plans
• Screening of student produced Public Service Announcements
• “R.E.D. is Green Greenery”–Biology students demonstrate horticulture Skills
• It’s About Time-Action Physics Demonstration
• Riverside High School Band & Chorus Performance
• Fundraising Table featuring Storm Water Pollution Prevention Umbrellas, Green T-Shirts, Green Footprints and Green Buttons
• Clean Air, No Idling, Prevent Asthma Poster & Bumper Sticker Contest
• Guest Speaker Peter Washburn, Policy Advisor, Environmental Protection Bureau, Officer of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo

Agencies participating include:

• Beczak Environmental Center
• The Dolphin Group
• Hudson River Museum
• City of Yonkers Green Policy Task Force
• Yonkers City Council

Patricia A. DiChiaro School

• Kindergarten classes are digging and planting a "Kinder Garden."
• Staff and students will wear green or ecology themed clothing.
• The DiChiaro PTA hosts a Green Show from 6 p.m.– 8 p.m. Parents are invited to see the green projects their children have worked on in school.

Family School 32

Students unveil the school’s new Hudson River Mural. The ceremony takes place at the main entrance to the school. The mural has been painted by students in grades 3 through 8, under the guidance of Family School 32 parent Christina Altomare. Guests participating in the ceremony include Saralinda Lichtblau, Manager of School Programs for The Hudson River Museum and Sara Cashen, Assistant Managing Director from Greenburgh Nature Center. Hudson River poetry will be presented by Helen Garcia’s ESL students. Lois Soto, instrumental music teacher directs the Family School 32 band performing musical selections including “God Bless America” and “Bach Minuet”.

Parents join their children to enhance the Earth and Family School 32’s garden. The PTA and Family School 32 families have donated flowers, plants and gardening tools for this special Earth Day planting activity (Rain date is 4/23/09)

Montessori School 31

Jean LeBlanc's Pre-K and Kindergarten class at Montessori School 31 will be discussing Earth Day and caring for the planet. Students will be sowing seeds in small laundry detergent bottle caps to highlight the practice of reusing and recycling. As the seedlings begin to sprout, children will learn about the parts of plants: roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, and how plants contribute to cleaner air.

Students will bring the plants home on Mother's Day in May to be transplanted outdoors, thereby helping to make the earth a bit greener.

Yonkers Middle School

To raise awareness for the protection and preservation of our planet, teachers at Yonkers Middle School will have their students read, observe and discuss current environmental issues involving ‘Mother Earth.’ Classes will develop word searches and cross word puzzles using significant environmental vocabulary and messages. Student government leaders will make posters with important conservation messages to increase awareness of responsible environmental practices. Italian classes will create environmental posters in the Italian language.

Scholastic Academy

Jaime O’Keefe’s 5th grade class is starting an initiative to make Scholastic Academy a more eco-friendly place. The kick-off to this initiative will be the Keeping It Green Community Clean-Up Day taking place on school grounds and in the surrounding neighborhood and park adjacent to the school.

PEARLS Hawthorne

PreK students join with 6th Grade students in watering and sprucing up the newly planted trees at the PEARLS playground.

Emerson Midde School

Home Depot of Yonkers has donated gardening tools, plants, bushes, and ground cover to beautify the grounds of Emerson Middle School on Earth Day. Emerson students will be working all day on planting and beautifying the school grounds.

Family 32

Yonkers Parks Department Arbor Day Tree Planting, Friday, April 24 at 1:00PM

Cedar Place School

"Kid Power and the Planet Protectors" will be presented Friday, April 24