On Friday April 20th, the HM Lower Division set aside the standard class schedule in a celebration of Earth Day.  From Kindergarten through Fifth Grade, the students took time out- and time outside- "to inspire awareness of and appreciation for our home, our Earth," as Head of Lower Division Wendy Steinthal expressed. Louise Parms, Fifth Grade Science teacher, said "This year the national theme for Earth Day was Mobilize the Earth. At the LD this is not a new theme. Students learn early on and continuously throughout their years at HM that they are the movers and shakers, the caretakers of this blue and green planet. Each year we enjoy setting aside and celebrating Earth Day with special activities at school, but it is through our active engagement and sustainable efforts every day, in and out of the classrooms, that the children grow in awareness and learn to be good stewards of the Earth's resources."

Children in the Kindergarten classes were treated to a presentation by the environmental organization Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Kindergarten teacher Christina Kearney explained, "We have been working with our youngest students to create an awareness of how people can have a positive impact on protecting our natural resources.  The kindergartners have had ongoing discussions throughout the year on how they can contribute to a sustainable environment, and have recently focused attention on the Hudson River.  The children had a firsthand look at the various forms of life that are found in the river. Everyone agreed that the Hudson is very much a part of our community, and therefore it is up to us all to advocate for it’s health.  Earth Day was a memorable experience that surely served to inspire our budding environmentalists!"

First graders had a visit from the Maritime Aquarium.  Willa '23 shared, "I like learning about sharks. Did you know sharks usually don't eat people? Also sharks come big and small. The biggest shark is a whale shark."

Second graders had a visit from our own Dorr Nature Lab faculty members to explore a botany activity. Second Grade Teacher Gina D'Amico '01 said that alongside the Dorr teachers "we studied plant life in its varied forms, observing different stages of root growth and peeling apart branches and buds to discover the innermost details. Our goal was to dismantle the familiar and inquire and, that, we did! In addition, the students had meaningful and inspiring conversations about the potential positive and negative impacts of "one" - one decision, one person, one change. How many people say: "it doesn't matter, it's just one bottle." What if everyone in the school said that once in a week? Suddenly we have 500 bottles, not one! Students began to realize that one has the power to multiply and matter!"

Third Graders were involved with outdoor plantings all over the campus. In the Cafeteria, the big screen featured a special display about HM's and FLIK's environmental efforts, and the food served featured local produce and vendors and biodegradable utensils.

The Fourth and Fifth Graders left campus in the morning for a special screening of "Chimpanzee," the new Disneynature film released on Friday. After the film, Gavin '19 said, "I loved the movie Chimpanzee. We learned a lot about Chimpanzees. It is so sad that there used to be one million chimpanzees and now there is only about one fourth of that." After the show, the students returned to campus for lunch, and then the Fifth Graders performed "Singing for Earth Day" for the rest of the Lower Division in the closing assembly.

Assistant Head of Lower Division Deena Neuwirth summarized the day, saying "Earth Day at the Lower Division is a day of celebration. It's a day to learn about our planet and to honour its beauty. It's also a day to educate the members of our HM community about the many ways we can all protect our environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling."

For more information about HM's sustainability efforts, click here.

For more information about national Earth Day celebrations, visit www.earthday.org.