Roy Mann 6th Grade Class Is All (Green) Thumbs

By Neil S. Friedman

The scheduled April 27 Arbor Day celebration at Roy Mann Intermediate School 78 in Mill Basin was postponed due to inclement weather, but Mother Nature was more cooperative last Thursday morning as Class 6-2 assembled on the north side of the middle school to plant a few trees on school grounds.

Before custodian Pat Troy dug a hole for the first tree, Claudia Cohen, the school's 6th grade dean, read Joyce Kilmer's classic poem, "Trees," to students.

Approximately 25 students watched as classmates Lauren Zaccheo and Kenneth Murphy placed a Zelkova serrata tree sapling into the ground with teacher Natalie Shabtai looking on. Before moving to a nearby location to plant a Crab Apple tree, Principal William Woods joined them.

The tress panted at Roy Mann were donated by the Arbor Day Foundation.

The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician originally from Michigan.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day.

Photos by Neil S. Friedman

(Clockwise from top)Students from I.S. 78 Class 6-2 gathered on school grounds last Thursday to plant a few trees to mark Arbor Day; Principal William Woods is flanked by eleven-year-olds Lauren Zaccheo (left), of Bergen Beach and Kenneth Murphy, of Canarsie, as they place one tree in the ground; class 6-2 teacher Natalie Shabtai kneels at spot where tree will be planted; custodian Pat Troy digs hole for students to place Zelkova serrata tree.

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