brings students together Tammy Zaffuto, a teacher at Brockport's Hill Elementary School, recently brought her fourth grade students together with some of her former students from eight years ago for an Arbor Day Project. The day had a special meaning for her former students, who are now seniors, because they planted 27 Norway Spruce trees when they were in fourth grade. Senior Graham Manfreda wrote a letter to Lani Streb, who then was working in Brockport Grounds Department, to help plant the trees for Arbor Day. Graham read about the program through the NYS Department of Conservation that made trees available to local schools. The students in his class wanted to replace some of the trees that had been cleared to make room for their new school. Streb, now a courier for the district, also came back for this special project to see how much the trees have grown and to talk with the young students about the importance of trees to the environment. All the students helped put mulch around the base of the trees. The bottom photo shows high school seniors standing in front of the tallest Norway Spruce tree that is now over seven feet tall. They planted the trees while in fourth grade, eight years ago. Current fourth-graders in Tammy Zaffuto's class helped spread mulch around the trees which beautify the grounds outside the Hill Elementary School. In front are (from l-r): Jessica Spies, Amanda Pelcher, Brianna Kaminskas; second row: Tiffany Harrison, Brittany Doherty, Michele Collichio; third row: Lani Streb, BCSD courier, Graham Manfreda, Thomas Sigler, and Edwin Molina. Fourth graders kneeling (from l-r) are: Lenny Porteus, Arron Hall, Anna Maksimchuk, Joe Wiesner; and standing in back is senior Graham Manfreda. |
