Earth Day 2023

As Pope Francis stated, Earth Day “is an occasion for renewing our commitment to love and care for our common home and for the weaker members of our human family.” This year Saint Patrick Catholic School celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday, April 19th. It was a beautiful spring day and our students thoroughly enjoyed a morning full of events and activity stations.

Our PreK and Kindergarten students participated in a number of activities on The Green. They dug for worms, planted seeds, and learned all about the life cycle of bees from Saint Patrick parent, staff member, and Beekeeper, Sarah Moro.  

First through fourth grade students visited different stations and enjoyed a variety of activities including a recycle relay, “pollution soup,” and learned about the Mason Bee pollinators from alumni parent, Barbara Bonheur. The Catholic High School Environmental Club did a presentation on the benefits of worms, and The Elizabeth River Project taught students about how snails help their habitat. Perhaps the most popular station was the Solar S ‘Mores. While it took a little patience, students created ovens and used the sun's power to bake their gooey treats.

Middle School students studied renewable and non-renewable resources, learned water quality from HRSD, participated in bird watching, tree identification, and oyster gardening with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In addition, alumni parent Jack Granger hosted a solar display, the Surfrider Foundation shared how we can keep our waterways free of pollution and trash, and a team from the Hermitage Museum & Gardens was on hand to discuss living shorelines.

We thank the Saint Patrick Catholic School Laudato Si Committee, comprised of teachers, parents, students, and staff members, for their hard work in organizing and carrying out these fun Earth Day activities. This committee also leads the many efforts throughout the year to sustain and carry out our mission of environmental stewardship.