Superintendent Ted Blumstein helped
the Eleanor Van Gelder 4th graders
present each state's official state trees
at the schools Arbor Day Celebration.

Despite rainy weather, the students at Eleanor Van Gelder School were able to hold their fifth annual Arbor Day Tree Planting celebration April 28.

A cherry tree was planted outside the school and then an assembly was held inside the gym.

"Planting this tree gives the children an opportunity to take some positive action to make the world a better place," Susan Pearl, the school’s curriculum director, said.

She told the students and parents in attendance that some of the benefits of the new trees are cleaning the air, beautifying the school and providing a home for wildlife.

Matthew Gonzalez, a sixth grader, emceed the assembly and started with a history of Arbor Day. Nebraska held a contest with prizes for planting the most trees on a day in 1872 because the land was so barren. It was estimated that close to a million trees were planted, Gonzalez said.

The event became a national celebration around the country and is usually celebrated on the last Friday in April. The fourth grade class held signs with pictures of all the official state trees.

The third grade class presented a poem and the second grade class also did one while translating it into sign language at the same time.

A couple of fifth graders were honored for achievements in Earth Day art contests.

Tiffany Sherris won a contest sponsored by the state’s Clean Community Project. Her entry was a poster called "Don’t Be a Litter Bug." The borough’s Department of Public Works made her poster into a sign and will post it outside the school.

"It will remind students not to litter," Pearl said.

Another fifth grader, Tiffany Jonassen, was recently honored by the New Jersey Department of Forestry for her artwork. A poster that she designed showing a view of trees during the four seasons will the December picture for the Forestry Department’s annual poster.

Superintendent Ted Blumstein said the school has a teacher who specializes in art who has been a great resource to the students and helped with the school’s success in contests.

"We also have an integrated curriculum," he said. "Instead of just learning the facts about a certain time period they also do the arts and music of the times."

Blumstein said he was proud of all the student presentations and wanted to especially thank the staff for helping each class research and prepare for the day.

The Edgewater Chamber of Commerce donated the tree that the school planted. Representatives attended the assembly along with the borough’s Shade Tree Committee.

Committee Chairman Matthew Perasso said the Shade Tree Committee has been doing a lot of work in the borough to enforce regulations and prevent illegal tree cutting. He said the committee is working an ordinance for the council to adopt that will get a lot of their ideas on the book and they hope to have it in place by the summer.