An Earth Day Birthday

April 22 is Earth Day. Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. This week we discussed the significance of making the most of our resources, and doing our best to maintain our planet. We learned about the 3 R’s, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. After discussing what they each meant, we all came up with ideas of how we could cut back, and do more to preserve our home. “We spent a while explaining which things we need to use less of…” Said Ms. Dina, our Science teacher. “We put a strong emphasis on what we can each do in our own lives to help the planet.”

To learn more about earth day, each student worked on an inventive earth day project. We challenged their creativity to use what was thought to be trash in innovative ways. By reusing old products in clever ways, we could create less waste. This week at Atidaynu we hosted a large Earth Day fair, where each student got to present their creation in a contest. The students were all very eager to share their work. “I used CDs as a frame…”, said Shmuel Haber. “I spent all night doing this! The puffy paint took a while to dry, and the cds were hard to break apart, but when it was done, I was so happy that I didn’t throw it all in the trash!” The projects turned out to be brilliant, and it was exceptional to see how each creation reflected its creator.

We enjoyed Earth themed cupcakes, and we took turns voting for our favorite creation. We all listened intently, as the judges reviewed each masterpiece. Finally, after much consideration, it was time to announce the winners of the fair. The judges based their decision on creativity, uniqueness, and utility.

From Class 1, Leon Halawani, with an awesome robot toy crafted from a shoebox, and used water bottles. From class 2a, Moshe Freund with a fantastic model cardboard racing game. From Class 2b, Avraham Benishai with his creative milk carton school bus, featuring his family. Finally, Shmuel Haber from Class 3 with his impressive CD artwork. We would like to applaud everyone for their outstanding work.

The projects were sensational. The winners were all awarded $25 gift cards to Toys4you. Everyone was also given a $25 Atidaynu gift card to use at the prize shop. “We were very impressed with the work each student had to show…”, said Mrs.Bazov. “I’d like to commend all the parents for getting involved and working together on this project, and applaud those who were able to complete it independently. It shows real growth.” After a terrific event, filled with unforgettable work, we all feel a lot more knowledgeable about the earth, and we are excited to work together to preserve our magnificent planet.