Earth Day Celebrated at Jack Abrams STEM School
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School students and teachers recently celebrated Earth Day in style. The youngsters wore blue and green to represent caring for land and water. There were special visitors and outside the box activities, too. All-in-all it was a day to remember at the school located on Lowndes Avenue in Huntington Station.
Three town officials visited with students and made presentations, including legislative aide Steve Jimenez and Town Environmental Waste Management Department representatives Kim Brown and Audrey Gallo, who were on hand to promote the virtues of recycling.
Students learned that a single sheet paper can be recycled several times. They were amazed at how glass and plastic can be used and reused many times over if folks only give recycling a chance.
Mrs. Brown is no stranger to the school, having served on the Huntington School Board for many years. When her presentation and question and answer session had concluded, she was escorted into the courtyard area to see how that area is being transformed into a learning station, including the installation of a living pond.
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 when about 20 million people across the United States participated in environmental teach-ins and related activities. It is estimated that more than a billion people in nearly 200 countries celebrated Earth Day in their respective communities by doing their part to help save the increasingly fragile environment.
The afternoon featured a short assembly for the STEM students. Huntington resident and founder of Grace Connect, Joan Bucchino came to continue her previous conversation about the BNB Bank sponsored initiative.
STEM students had the opportunity to connect helpful environment saving actions with financial savings. Participating students were entered in a raffle to win a bicycle and herb garden. Riley Ackerman wore a big smile after winning the bicycle while Sol Rodriguez-Arevalo captured the herb garden.
Student Council President Christina Drummings, Vice President Cianna Batts and Secretary Victoria Mangan presented the first Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School Earth Day Award to teacher Tracey McManus, who has organized a plastic bottle recycling initiative in the building and has been a strong proponent of recycling in general.
The officers spoke about the student council’s paper recycling program at the school, which features the placement of collection bins in every classroom and various common areas. Paper is collected on a weekly basis. Teacher Susan Danzig, who serves as the student council’s faculty advisor places a call to Mrs. Gallo to coordinate arrangements for the town to pick up the paper destined for recycling.
Earth Day festivities also included an announcement that several perennials, including a hydrangea and a pair of fountain grasses will be planted in the school courtyard, as that area continues to be spruced up and beautified.
The special day concluded with teacher Paul Esposito singing “Here Comes The Sun,” a song written by George Harrison that appeared on the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Students swayed back and forth clapping to the beat as Mr. Esposito performed for the crowd.