News & Views

Country School Celebrates Earth Day with a Variety of Activities

New Canaan Country School faculty, students and their families joined together in song, jokes, poetry, speeches, drawing, planting, recycling and cooking as part of the 50th Annual Earth Day celebrations, held April 22. The pre-K through Grade 9 school utilized its distance learning resources to engage community members in a wide variety of individual, family and virtual activities. 
Early Childhood students celebrated the special day with humor and good cheer. Kindergarteners illustrated and shared Earth Day jokes with their family, classmates and friends.

“Why is everyone always tired on Earth Day?” asked Kindergartener Finn Greig. “Because they just finished a long March!”

“On Earth Day, we think about our planet and all that it provides for us - food, water, shelter. It is also important that we keep our planet clean. There is no reason why we can’t have some fun along the way!” noted Kindergarten Teacher Darby Webber.

Students in the upper grades approached the day with similar creativity using recycled materials to create fantastical works of art; reading, reciting and writing nature-themed poetry; and  
joining together via technology to sing “This Pretty Planet.” 

“I enjoyed recording the song because it reminded me of being at school, singing it at the Lower School assembly,” said fifth grader Michael Bria.

Lower School Librarian Jean Stevens read aloud several nature-themed stories including  All That Trash, by Meghan McCarthy. 

“As you listen to the story, think of ways you can help clean up your environment. Do you like how the story ended? Could there be other solutions?” she asked the children. 

Middle School students (Grades 5 and 6) were equally reflective. As part of their year-long focus on public speaking, many sixth graders chose themes meaningful to them personally for the speeches they wrote, memorized and performed. Topics included: the need for clean drinking water around the world, the dangers of plastic in our seas, why people should buy fully electric cars, light pollution, air pollution and the importance of the outdoors, among others.

Ninth grade art students used natural materials found outside their homes to create carefully balanced rock cairns and symmetrical floral patterns, photographing and sharing their completed works.

Brennen Strine and Julie Aliapoulios, co-chairs of the Parents’ Association Campus Beautification Committee, made a gardening video to inspire others to get outside and also curated and shared a number of Youtube videos with family-friendly projects such as making a mason jar herb garden, moss terrarium and homemade bird feeder.

Even FLIK, the school’s dining service provider, got in on the festivities. Executive Chef William Barrera and Director of Dining Services Carlos Caban offered helpful tips to eliminate food waste.

The school’s facilities team continues to lovingly care for campus. School Landscaper and Maintenance Assistant Marc Keneally shared with the community his passion for organic land management practices. “Our entire 75-acre campus is managed without the use of EPA regulated pesticides. Our campus turf program utilizes hardy grass species which minimize water and nutrient input.”

“It was a beautiful, uplifting day. I am always delighted when students, families and faculty join together in shared purpose and was inspired on this occasion by everyone’s creativity, resilience and determination to maintain our cherished traditions and sense of community,” said Plus Program Director Kathryn Kravec who together with Performing Arts Teacher Lindy Toczko co-ordinated or facilitated many activities in support of the special day. 
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New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.