Ridge Meadows Celebrates Earth Week with 'The Lorax' Theme

Ridge Meadows Elementary celebrated Earth Week from April 7-11, featuring Dr. Seuss' favorite advocate for the trees, "The Lorax." The week's activities centered on the theme, "We Speak for the Trees." 

Students walked in on Monday to a lobby decorated like a forest. Each student in the school worked to create decorations by assembling forest animals, painting larger animals, making bugs and even using their handprints to make two trees that included almost every student handprint in our building. The Lorax was featured around the school with a special message from the book: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Ridge Meadows' library media specialist Lisa Molengraft recorded slides for televisions throughout the building, distributed a readaloud of "The Lorax" for each class and added conservation of tree information into morning announcements. These messages will continue through the end of the month. Signs around our building also educated our students on the importance of trees. For example, trees provide food, shade and habitats.

"In the book 'The Lorax,' the Swomee-Swans fly away due to smog," Molengraft said in one of her morning announcement messages. "Today's fun fact with that problem is presented because trees actually fight pollution! They breathe in pollutants, filter the smog and release healthy oxygen!"

Explore classes, led by Explore classroom assistant Markel Merz, focused on conservation lessons and STEM projects, including bird feeders, planting "grass heads," sustainable structures and bird houses. Lessons were focused on conservation of trees and the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

Ridge Meadows teachers were given many resources to use to incorporate lessons to correspond with the theme of protecting forests, specifically trees. Discovery Education, Seussville, PebbleGo and National Geographic for Kids were just a few of the many resources used to promote earth-friendly initiatives while encouraging research, problem-solving, writing and a lot of fun!

Ridge Meadows parent and PTO member Meggan Hargrave, who works for Metropolitan Forestry Services, also provided a great deal of resources. 

"As for getting involved, our personal and company philosophy is educating people on the importance of trees and taking care of the planet," she said. "It’s what we do every day as arborists: care for trees. We work every day to ensure trees are healthy and educate the public on the best way to care for this important resource."

Ridge Meadows works to incorporate an Earth Day week into April programming each year. Past themes have included elephants in Cambodia with life-altering injuries, the oceans and rainforests.