Pleasant Valley Elementary School students learned about Earth Day and ways to protect the environment during a day-long event Friday.

“This is our big Earth Day celebration. We have 35 volunteers, including parents, high school students and environmental staff,” said Rachel Frable, president of the PVE Parent Teacher Organization. “The students rotate to four different stations and spend about 10 minutes at each station.”

Participants included Future Farmers of America from the Monroe County Technical Institute, Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority, Waste Management, the PVHS Environthon Team, West End Fair Queen Brianna Shupp and 2022 Pennsylvania Elite Ms. United States Agriculture Stacy Romascavage.

The Environthon team shared its knowledge about native plants, flowers and trees found at PVE during the event. Team members held branches, leaves and flowers to show the kids, as they were gathered in the back parking lot for about 45 minutes to do the various stations.

At one station, children signed their name on quilt squares. Shupp recited a pledge and the kids repeated it.

“We figured out the best idea was a quilt. Each child will sign a block. They will look back and remember their pledge to protect the Earth,” said Shupp, who is in 11th grade at PVHS.

Sharon Gower, of Longarm Charm Quilting, will sew all the blocks together. It will be displayed at this year’s West End Fair in late August and then on permanent display in PVE, Frable said.

At another station, the kids received a house-shaped paper, a bean seed and water. They put it in a bag to take home to put in sunlight and watch it grow.

“It’s fun to see the kids do the things we do every day. We want them to be interested in horticulture,” said Allison Borger, a MCTI student in the Horticulture program.

Keven Kundratic, deputy executive director of Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority, and his colleague spoke mainly about composting at their station.

“I think it’s important to teach kids about composting and recycling because these are ways in which to put less strain on the landfills and keep Monroe County clean,” said Kundratic.

At the final station, Adrienne Fors, senior community relations specialist with Waste Management, and her colleagues spoke about recycling and what they can put in their curbside bins.

“We want to teach them some new habits for being sustainable,” Fors said.

For instance, plastic berry containers from grocery stores have a number on the bottom of the container indicating they are recyclable.

“However, these plastic containers do not melt down in the same way as other recyclable containers do,” said Fors. “When you can, choose a different container for your berries - one that is actually recyclable or can be reused, such as a plastic food storage container.”

The PTO provided pizza, snacks and drinks during a lunch break.

“I’m here to thank you for everything you’re doing here. What beautiful weather today. Happy Earth Day,” said Roger Pomposello, Pleasant Valley Elementary principal,

Courtyard beautification

The Pleasant Valley Intermediate Parent Teacher Organization led beautification projects Wednesday and Thursday in the school’s two courtyards.

“This special project that we as a PVI family worked on looked is so unique. All the students brought their own unique artistic touch with the help from parent volunteers and teachers,” said Heather Kowalczyk, PVI PTO president.

Teachers brought their students outside during their assigned time.

The third, fourth and fifth grade students painted kindness rocks, created a kindness rock garden, planted flowers and used window markers and stencils to write kind messages on the windows and doorway glass.

“We created a learning space that is inviting and full of energy - from the inspirational window art to the classroom stepping stones,” she said. “I am beyond proud of the result and so grateful for the opportunity to be involved in beautifying our school.”

During Thursday evening’s academic fair and band concerts, parents stopped to read the messages on the glass and look into the courtyard at the flower boxes with multi-colored flowers and jumbo pinwheels added for decoration.