A Growing Experience

By Eliza Hallabeck

Students across the district received blue spruce saplings, and this year’s distribution marked the 25th year for the program.

Middle Gate Elementary School math/science specialist Pam Fagan has been overseeing the distribution program since its inception, and said it all started with a grant from an anonymous donor known as the Tree Lady. Through the October Hill Foundation grant, many trees have been distributed to students throughout the years. This year, Ms Fagan said 1,520 trees were sent home with students throughout Newtown.

“We’re just delighted to keep this carrying on,” said Ms Fagan.

The Newtown Forest Association became in charge of overseeing the distribution of the grant three years ago, according to Ms Fagan, and students in kindergarten through sixth grade have the option of bringing trees home to plant with their family.

The trees were distributed at Middle Gate Elementary School on Thursday, April 26, as part of the school’s Earth Week celebration. During Earth Week, Ms Fagan said students were part of many experiences and presentations. Earth Week events included a decorating reusable shopping bags for Stop & Shop on Tuesday, on Wednesday students learned about composting through a presentation, and more throughout the week.

“It’s a fun week,” said Ms Fagan.

During one part of Thursday’s events. kindergarten students received directions on how to prepare their blue spruce saplings to be brought home.

The students submerged newspapers in water, wrapped the wet paper around the base of the tree, placed the tree and paper in a plastic bag, and stapled directions on how to plant it at home to the outside of the bag.

The students were also asked to draw a picture of their trees to send to the Tree Lady as a thank you for her gift.