Home » HVRSD recognizes local “EcoWarriors”

HVRSD recognizes local “EcoWarriors”

by Community Contributor

Earlier this month, eight students from Hopewell Valley’s four elementary schools, as well as the middle and high schools, were recognized as EcoWarriors by the Board of Education. FoHVOS Executive Director Lisa Wolff attended to present tribute award certificates to the EcoWarrior winners as well as to lead teacher Carolyn McGrath. FoHVOS will plant a tribute tree in honor of each winner. Each EcoWarrior serves as role model for environmentally-friendly actions within schools and the greater Hopewell community. The students were chosen by nominations from their peers, teachers, and community. 

“We are so proud that students in every school are actively making a difference outside our classroom walls,” remarked outgoing HVRSD Superintendent, Dr. Thomas Smith. “Our ultimate District goal is to prepare students to be happy, successful, global citizens; and our EcoWarriors prove they are applying lessons they learned in school to improve our earth.”

The following students were recognized at the Board of Education meeting:

  • Nathan Borgos (Bear Tavern)
  • Phoebe Schoene (Hopewell Elementary)
  • Ethan King (Stony Brook)
  • Ada Everett (Toll Gate)
  • Tabitha Webster and Lilian Brennan (Timberlane)
  • Nadia Chasalow and Akhansha Arvind (Central High School)

Those selected have effected change physically and intellectually, from volunteering to sort through cafeteria garbage as fifth-grader Nathan Borgos has as a lunch monitor, to designing the logo for their school’s Green Team as Ada Everett has. Eighth-graders Tabitha Webster and Lilian Brennan have gone so far as to publish their own monthly newsletter on sustainable fashion.

Many of these students also have been vocal members of the community when it comes to environmentalism. Third-grader Ethan King is known to be a shining example to his classmates when it comes to environmental conscientiousness. In addition to their newsletter, Webster and Brennan also have presented on Sustainable Fashion to the CHS Re-Imagine Club, to the District Green Team, and during Green Week.

Third-grader Phoebe Schoene, a passionate advocate for our climate, was a speaker at the Green Week Forum, in which students, alumni, and local environmental leaders addressed the issue “Where do we go from here?” Junior Nadia Chasalow was a panelist for The Story of Plastic and junior Akhansha Arvind was a speaker at The Green Week Forum. Both did a presentation during Green Week about biomimicry. This past year, as well as during Green Week, they organized readings of environmentally-themed stories to elementary school students.

Tribute winners are offered the opportunity to help plant their trees at the next semi-annual planting at a FoHVOS preserve this October.

Written by CHS Senior Caleb A. Briggs and submitted by FoHVOS

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