Earth Day, held on April 22, is an internationally celebrated event. The original Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, 1970, was set in place by a US senator in order to raise environmental awareness after witnessing the devastation caused by an oil spill. Today, with the increasingly devastating consequences of litter and pollution, Earth day is just as, if not more important as a means to honor the Earth and advocate environmental protection.
This April 22, MAS joined the world in celebrating Earth Day. Every student from KG1 to Grade 12 participated in activities, learned about environmental protection, and celebrated their Earth. One month before, MAS celebrated Recycling Day, where students learned how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This event kicked off a month-long preparation, involving special lessons and challenges that culminated in the Earth Day.
The Kindergarten classes begin the day with Earth Day exhibitions. After a month of learning about and practicing recycling, the students presented how to reuse goods and recycle articles. The Elementary School Earth Day challenge was to submit videos that students made on their iPads showing how they Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Students that completed the challenge were celebrated with medals at a tree planting ceremony; our Earth Day champions helped plant a new tree, sponsored by MAS Student Council, in front of the school. Further, ES students celebrated new life by making pots out of reused plastic bottles and planting seeds to grow. Middle School students competed in poster competitions, showing their knowledge of Earth-friendly practices. Further, both Middle and Senior Schools deepened their knowledge and appreciation of the Earth and the need to protect it during Science and English Classes. In Science class, students were touched as they learned about the consequences of wastefulness and littering on the environment and its inhabitants. In English class, students were enlightened as they brainstormed ideas and wrote poems and essays about how to protect the environment. Finally, a group of High School students rectified some of the consequences of littering first hand. They formed an environment clean-up group and cleaned the empty field down the road from the Modern American School of its litter.
At MAS, we are proud of our students for caring about the environment. As a result of the day’s activities, many students felt moved to clean out their classrooms and their book bags and recycle their waste so that it can be used again and not clutter and destroy our world. We look forward to continually making MAS more green and nurturing a better Earth for future generations.
Dr. Kimberly Zamel,
Head of Science Faculty
