Last year I was invited to attend a Root Elementary Green Team meeting by Council member Adella Gray and City staffer/Proud Parent Chad Ball. It was a 7 a.m.appointment so I was not exactly thrilled, but I scraped myself out of bed nonetheless.
When I finally made my way into the classroom I was shocked by the number of parents and students as well as their level of enthusiasm. They were spouting off ideas right and left, talking about the finer points of recycling, and whether the native flowers would get ran over by the mowing crews. The really incredible thing was that each idea, project, etc was something they fully expected to take on themselves.
A couple of months later Root Elementary was back at it with a contest to rename the "Unnamed Tributary of Mud Creek." Three classes researched the stream and its history and then voted on the winning name. Ultimately, "Niokaska Creek" an Osage name for Children of the Middle Waters was decided upon. The students held a press conference and naming ceremony at Root Elementary and then presented in front of City Council. The whole thing was really impressive.
And now, instead of resting on their laurels, the Root kids are back at it again. On Wednesday they will be listed as A Litter Free Zone by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission.
Keep it up kids!
When I finally made my way into the classroom I was shocked by the number of parents and students as well as their level of enthusiasm. They were spouting off ideas right and left, talking about the finer points of recycling, and whether the native flowers would get ran over by the mowing crews. The really incredible thing was that each idea, project, etc was something they fully expected to take on themselves.
A couple of months later Root Elementary was back at it with a contest to rename the "Unnamed Tributary of Mud Creek." Three classes researched the stream and its history and then voted on the winning name. Ultimately, "Niokaska Creek" an Osage name for Children of the Middle Waters was decided upon. The students held a press conference and naming ceremony at Root Elementary and then presented in front of City Council. The whole thing was really impressive.
And now, instead of resting on their laurels, the Root kids are back at it again. On Wednesday they will be listed as A Litter Free Zone by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission.
Keep it up kids!
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