Earth Day at Rumsey: We Honor Our Planet and Give Back
Earth Day Parade
Earth Day* is a revered occasion at Rumsey Hall. This year, students learned about conservation issues affecting our planet and then took action to clean and preserve our local habitat—the Rumsey Hall Campus!
* Did you know? Earth Day was co-founded by Dan Lufkin P'12, '20, '24! Read about his contributions to the inception of Earth Day in this CT Insider article.
Earth Day festivities began early in the morning with preparations for a lively parade. [Watch a short video clip of the parade!] First, Ms. Bailey, our Lower School art teacher, visited each classroom and gifted students with face paintings to don in the parade. From there, each class geared up in the artwork they've been working on. Their masterpieces depicted the sustainability lessons they've been learning about. Then, the pockets of students filed into place with signs, floats, and vibrant flowers to march through the campus!
Led by Mrs. McGrew dressed as the sun, the Kindies class wore forest-inspired head bands and proudly carried a detailed turtle habitat float through campus. The Pre-Primes class made ethereal butterfly crowns and carried felt poppies. After learning that beetles are the most populous creature on earth, the Primes class made beetle hats for the parade. Ist Form students made a giant ocean banner that signaled in our responsibility to care for our oceans and waterways. IInd Form students created a colorful Earth Day banner and IIIrd Form students were spotted wearing giant fish costumes made by the Kindies!
The goal of the parade was to celebrate our amazing planet and to raise awareness about the ways we can help keep the Earth clean and whole. Students created the signs using their own words: we are incredibly proud of them for using their voice to create self-agency and to promote an environment of courage to change.
Giving Back to Our Planet
For our students, creating awareness of the global need for change wasn't enough...they wanted to take action! Before and after the parade, students worked hard to tend to the earth in our own backyard. Mrs. Dyball's PE classes trekked around campus to clear out any miscellaneous trash.
Mr. Brenner led a team of students to create colorful raised bed pollinator gardens on Lower School street. Students amended soil, composted, laid in organic fertilizer, weeded, and turned and planted annuals.
Another group worked alongside our maintenance staff to mulch, rake, and plant new perennials for the walkway garden bed. In addition, students raked the playground wood chips, seeded grass, and picked up any trash around the playground area.
The Rumsey Circle Parents Association Leads by Example
Even our parents contributed to the Rumsey Earth Day lineup of events. With a spirit of giving back to the community, the RCPA organized a bake sale! Parents baked up a storm and delivered the goodies to the capable hands of our team of parent volunteers. The table of cookies, brownies, and variety of treats — along with some much-needed coffee after such an event-filled day— presented buyers with ample opportunity to satiate their sweet tooth on a this sunny Friday afternoon.