As you drive into the Colonial Academy campus, you will see orange stakes throughout the area. They aren’t marking a runway for airplanes and they aren’t identifying areas for new sidewalks. They are holding up sensitive seedlings planted by Ms. Baus’ Partial Hospitalization class and Ms. Ott’s Alternative Education class. The silky dogwood seedlings will grow into 6'-10' shrubs with yellow-white flowers in the spring and small blue berries in the fall, adding another touch of color to the Academy grounds. Ms. Baus’ class is learning about ecology and planned this activity as part of their Arbor Day celebration on April 30th. Learning about saving our earth was one lesson, but a more important goal was learning how to cooperate and work as a team to succeed at a challenge. Mission accomplished! Thanks to Mr. Franczak’s Construction Management class for making the orange stakes for us and to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for donating the seedlings and resource materials for our class. Left to right: Matt Crabtree (Pocono Mountain School District), Mr. Mike Mayer (Mental Health Worker), Allen Biechy (East Stroudsburg School District)
