Cornwall Ontario — This past Monday marked a very special day at East Front Public School, not only because it was Earth Day, but because of the incredible efforts of the entire school.

What started out as a conversation during our March staff meeting turned into an unbelievable variety of activities, events and initiatives, all focused on further exploring all things Earth Day!

To mark the occasion, every student and staff member was presented with a refillable, BPA-free, collapsible water bottle with the inscription: EAST FRONT – I do, do YOU? With several staff members having these bottles visible to our students, the curiosity of our students soon filled our classrooms and hallways, and continued building throughout the month of April.

Many staff members and parents commented on the fact that this also brought out the very best of our Character Education as students explored the true meaning of caring for something other than themselves.

Throughout the course of Earth Day, all of our students were able to spend some time outside doing a spring clean-up, both on the East Front property, along the riverfront, and within our community.

Our grades 3/4 group greeted school neighbours and community members with, “Happy Earth Day!” as they tidied up on their way to the park. They were very proud of the many compliments they received for cleaning up the local sidewalks, boulevards and Menard Park.

At our celebration assembly at the end of the day, representatives from every class presented their work to the whole school. It was great to see the pride, confidence, and enthusiasm that so many of our students showed.

From kindergarten to grade 6, the hard work and initiative of our wonderful staff shone through in our students. Earth Day turned out to truly be a showcase of the tone, culture and character at East Front!