Why we love trees Warden PS Nature Study Area February 2013 DEB ATTAS Teacher Lillian PS I am hoping to win the mushroom kit for my grade 3 class and this is our submission. We are a platinum school. Yeah!! I have been at Lillian for 26 years and it did my heart good to watch six trees being planted just last week. After being part of the presentation team last spring that convinced the Rotary Club to contribute $6,000.00 to creating our outdoor classroom, I am euphoric. Our principal is 125% behind the project and has been inspirational in her endeavours to assist any idea that is ecological. I feel I have a relationship with so many of the trees at our school as I have been there long enough to participate in planting some, watch some being planted, and then watch them all grow from saplings. I share my stories with the children. Our new “babies” will need time to settle but already we check them each day to be sure they are looking well. I have some very caring 7 and 8 year olds who seem to love nature, thank goodness. LEASA ADAMS Vice-Principal Wilkinson PS I love to enter EcoSchools’ draws. I want to tell you about our most recent tree. Three years ago the long-time principal (11 years) at Wilkinson decided it was time to retire. We organized with the School Council to plant a tree in her honour. We decided on a tulip tree—it is natural to the Carolinian forest and we had others that were doing well in the yard (also I love the shape of the leaves). Sadly, just after planting the tree the principal passed away. I’m so happy that we planted a tree in her honour because it brought her some happiness during a difficult time and because now her legacy lives on. Page 2 of 7 MEGAN KENZIE VERNON Kindergarten teacher Regent Heights PS My thoughts on trees in school grounds Trees in our school yard give us places to Rest, shelter and shade. Environmental awareness and Educational opportunities abound in the Spaces where trees grow! BARBARA MYERS Grade 3 teacher Hunter's Glen Jr PS My thoughts on trees in school grounds...they give our students a link to nature that many don't experience close up, living as they do in apartments. Trees let us appreciate the value of nature and how they not only beautify our grounds but support wildlife that we can study and learn about to help connect us more to the natural world. Trees in school grounds help us connect to our natural "roots"! Page 3 of 7 NIKLAS AGARWAL Grade 12 student and Eco-Team President Harbord CI Trees on school grounds are a necessity. They provide shade to lounge in on those lazy summer days when your teachers take you outside. They provide that breath of relief when you run along the track. They give your school a look of friendliness. Trees are relaxing to look at. When your teacher is droning on, looking out the window is a bit of needed relief. Old trees tell you the story of the school, long before you set foot in that florescent hallway. Recently, we lost one of our oldest trees to Hurricane Sandy. It is the irony of climate change knocking down a tree which affects me the most. SALLY GUSTIN Principal Finch PS I have many fond memories of time spent as a child in the 1950s in a rural school yard filled with many trees. In those days, in primary grades we had to do a leaf collection of waxed leaves (pressed between two sheets of waxed paper) and label them all. To this day, I still remember the names of many of our indigenous trees. I was very happy when I came to Finch Public School as our school yard has been transformed into an arboretum by Erika Allen, a very dedicated and now retired teacher. Our school yard is blessed with 57 trees and over 25 species, all producing oxygen and providing shade for our students. Page 4 of 7 DANA MAGYAR-BROWN Teacher Blantyre PS At Blantyre, we are lucky to have our school yard surrounded by old growth trees. Within the yard, we have created an accessible outdoor classroom with, of course, a shade-bearing tree. Beyond that, we plan to share our love of trees and help to replace the ash trees affected by the emerald ash borer beetle when we participate in raising funds through the e-waste collection in the spring. WE LOVE TREES! So we are anxious to do some hands-on learning about mycelium networks at ground level while the tree canopy spreads above the ground. Mr. Kennedy, his grade 6/7 class and I plan to work together with the Ecoclub. BRAD KENNEDY Teacher North Albion CI The trees growing on the North Albion CI school grounds are admired, enjoyed, and used for learning opportunities. For example our students enjoy lunches beneath the shade of an Austrian Pine and have even compared the ph level under this pine tree relative to other areas in the courtyard (to test how the needles acidify the soil). Last year, a native Eastern Redbud was planted in memory of a beloved science teacher who passed away in 2011. His memory will live on and continue to inspire as we watch his tree grow and become part of our school. We would love to be considered for one of the mushroom kits. It would be a nice learning aid in the Biodiversity unit in the Grade 11 curriculum. Page 5 of 7 SANDRA ASHBY Teacher Downsview PS I wanted to tell you about the trees we have planted. Last year we planted some trees in a circle to start the framework for an outdoor classroom. They were all given names such as "Coffeecrisp" and "Catreena" so that the kids could make a connection with the newly planted trees. On Valentine’s Day, we created a large tree and students wrote down why trees are so important to us. Their heart/leaves were posted on the tree. Many of the students are protective and respectful of the trees and they look great in the playground. ANMOL Student Smithfield PS Teacher Denise Oliver passed on Anmol’s tree thoughts. "In grade 3 we planted trees at John D. Parker. I felt as if I did a really good thing. Later, the trees made playing games like hide and seek and snowball throwing more fun". Page 6 of 7 Huron Street PS Silver Maple