An Arbor Day Celebration with a Weeping Cherry on Top

A Weeping Cherry tree was planted at Stepney Elementary School Friday morning and Principal Susan Austin looks forward to the tree welcoming visitors driving up her school's driveway when it's in full bloom next spring.

Park Ranger and Tree Warden David Solek led an Arbor Day ceremony attended by the entire student body. The highlight was the planting of the Weeping Cherry donated by Keith Bunovsky of TLC Wholesale Nursery.

The tree was already getting plenty of sunshine and Solek said it will need to be watered throughout the summer.

"I hope we'll have a beautiful flame of pink and white when people come up the driveway in April," he said.

Special guests at the ceremony included State Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R-112), Town Council Chairwoman Enid Lipeles, Marven Moss, Conservation & Water Resources commissioners Gail Bunovsky (vice chairman) and Beverly Doyle, who was also there to represent Aquarion Water Co.

Stepney students Diane Wallet and Kevin Papscoe led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Stepney Pledge and Solek recited a Thanksgiving address of the Seneca Tribal Nation of Iroquois.

The address reads: "We give thanks to the plants. Within them is a force that sustains many forms of life. Plants give us food medicine and beauty."

First Selectman Steve Vavrek's proclamation was read and there was a presentation of the Tree City Designation by Douglas Emmerthal of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and Forestry.

"Really the whole month of April we celebrate Earth Day and it's wonderful that we can culminate this month with an Arbor Day celebration and plant this Weeping Cherry tree," Austin said.

Hands on Learning

Bonnie Maur, the science coordinator for the district, put science standards for grades K-5 in place and Austin said her students have been working on programs in the classroom this month dealing with preserving the Earth.

On Friday afternoon, Austin said students will be planting crops and taking care of  the children's garden in the center of Stepney Elementary School. The ABC perennial garden features plantings representing the 26 letters in the alphabet and the 26 classrooms at the school.

"The children's hope is to grow enough vegetables to be able to make a donation to the Monroe Food Pantry," Austin said.

In the meantime, Austin wants her students to reap the benefits of hands on learning. She said, "Children need to dig in the Earth. They need to experience science to understand it."