Scotchtown Avenue Elementary School’s saplings have grown into second grade scholars, and are celebrating both Arbor Day and their moving up to Goshen Intermediate School with a new tree planting tradition.
The rising third graders partook in a tree planting ceremony on Thursday, June 13, in hopes that as they continue to grow, their sugar maple will as well.
Former mayor and member of the Goshen Forestry Council Marcia Mattheus spearheaded the new tradition and answered questions from inquisitive students, a reminder of her previous career as a high school English teacher.
“Trees give us shade, take the bad things out of the air and give us all clean oxygen that we need to breathe,” she said. “It’s oxygen that keeps us happy, keeps the animals alive. Look at all the trees around us. We need some more trees here at your school, which is why we are planting one here today.”
“I think the sugar maples are going to be beautiful for you to watch and for you to take care of,” said Mattheus. “If you are out here playing and you see they look thirsty, tell your teacher that they need more water, okay, so that nobody forgets.”
She was moved to tears by the time she shoveled the first pile of dirt, with spectators including Superintendent Dr. Kurtis Kotes, Goshen Chief of Police Ryan Rich, and others.
After Mattheus, Mayor Molly O’Donnell and SAS Principal Kristin Driscoll shoveled the second and third piles of dirt in the honorary tree planting.
Plans are to continue planting trees each year to honor graduating second graders and add more trees to the campus.