Thursday was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine, making it perfect for the students of the Whiting Elementary School (WES) to celebrate Earth Day! Although Earth Day was officially during the week of Manchester's Spring Recess, this important and educational celebration was still observed upon the school district's return to class, and enjoyed by all!
The WES Earth Day Celebration featured special guests, activities, and time learning about and enjoying the earth around them.
Chief Park Naturalist Chris Claus took students on a nature walk around the WES campus. They explored the deeper environment around them with Mr. Claus, using the school's natural habitat to uncover the importance of why we take care of the earth, who is living on their campus, and how they can help preserve it for the classes to come:
The WES Outdoor Classroom, obtained many years ago thanks to a grant, provided the perfect location for speaker Becky Laboy. Ms. Laboy taught students about soil and plants that are native to the earth around their school:
Patricia Trasferini from Ocean County Parks is not a stranger to students of WES, always visiting to engage them in lessons that coordinate with their curriculum. Today, she taught about fires and fire safety. Students had fun learning how firefighters protect themselves from fire when in a forest by using a specialized tarp!
In addition to the wonderful visitors who came from across the county to provide hands-on Earth Day lessons to Whiting's students, classes also participated in outdoor mindfulness activities, created nature art on the campus volleyball court, participated in a math and a nature scavenger hunt, and assisted Superintendent Pedroza, Principal Swift, and Mayor Hankins in planting a donated tree.
Thank you to everyone who came together and worked so hard to make Earth Day a memorable lesson for the students of Whiting Elementary School!
