By Kate O’Brien, Harbor Country Day School
On April 21 and 22, students at Harbor Country Day School celebrated Earth Day with a number of fun-filled and educational activities. From beautifying the school’s grounds and planting a sustainable vegetable and herb garden, to planting a bed of educational plants to be used in school science lessons and during Camp Harbor’s nature and science programs, all of Harbor Country Day’s Earth Day activities revolved around one goal – to strengthen the children’s understanding of and appreciation for the environment in which they live.
“Earth Day is one of our favorite days here at Harbor,” said Upper School Science Teacher Brian O’Shaughnessy. “Every day, our students are becoming more and more aware of the importance of protecting and their environment. We talk about it throughout the year, but when we have one specific day where we can focus all of our energies on caring for our planet, we’re able to make a much more profound impact.”
One of the school’s activities involved weeding, planting and fertilizing a vegetable and herb garden on the school grounds – a favorite activity of many of the students.
“Planting the vegetable and herb garden is a really great activity,” said Kaitlin Dayton, Science Teacher for the Early Childhood and Lower School divisions of Harbor Country Day. “Not only do the children enjoy the actual work, but they love to see the results of their efforts as they watch the vegetables and herbs grow throughout the rest of the year.”
As John Cissel, Harbor Country Day’s Head of School noted, the vegetable garden proved to be an essential resource for many of the school’s families last year: “There was an e coli outbreak with cucumbers last year, so some of our families came to Harbor to pick cucumbers from the garden the students planted. The children felt so proud to know that their efforts were actually putting food on their families’ tables. What better lesson could we teach them than that?”
About Harbor Country Day School
Founded in 1958 by conscientious parents, Harbor Country Day School is an independent, co-educational day school for children from preschool through 8th grade situated in St. James’ Village of Head of the Harbor. The school employs a whole-child approach to education, wherein its rigorous curriculum is supported by a broad program in its academic, athletic, advisory, and visual and performing arts departments designed to develop all aspects of each child’s talents and interests. Harbor Country Day School’s summer camp program, Camp Harbor, is among the leading summer camp programs on Long Island. The school’s mission to “cherish childhood, cultivate wonder, and inspire confident learners and leaders” underscores every child’s experience at Harbor Country Day School and ensures that all of its graduates are prepared to lead fulfilling lives filled with wonder, confidence, and many successes. Harbor Country Day School is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is accredited by and a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization under section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees. For more information, visit www.hcdsny.org.
Source: Harbor Country Day School