Webster School Students Participate in
United Way Days of Caring
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – October 17, 2007. Webster School second-grade students participated in the annual United Way Days of Caring at the Trumbull Nature & Arts Center, held this year from October 9-11. On the morning of October 9th, 45 second grade students from Webster School in Bridgeport arrived to participate in the fun and volunteer their time, while learning about science and nature. The students learned about the habitat for blue birds, and helped make bird houses. They also made bird feeders with pinecones, made scarecrows, and went on a guided nature walk with a Trumbull Park Ranger, Mark Ceneri. “The trip was wonderful! The day after the field trip to the Trumbull Nature Center, two of our children read over the intercom a list of 20 facts that they learned about nature as a result of the special day's events,” stated Marlene Roberts, Principal of Webster School.
As one of United Way’s Schools of Hope, Webster School receives funding for specifically designed programs that Mrs. Roberts and her educators have deemed critical to helping their students achieve their full potential. “Until grade three, children learn to read; after grade three, they read to learn,” stated Dr. James Crispino, United Way Chief Operating and Community Impact Officer. “The Schools of Hope initiative focuses on this single outcome-reading at grade level by grade three-as its measure of success. It provides supplemental resources to children, grades K through 3, that have been identified by teachers as needing extra help in reading and other supports,” continued Crispino. “We would like to make every school a School of Hope someday.”
Teams of volunteers from throughout the area registered for a morning or afternoon shift on one of the three scheduled days to work on projects that enhanced this regional asset in preparation for the thousands of visitors expected each year. The Trumbull Nature & Arts Center offers the entire region environmental and cultural education through classes, exhibits, lectures, and nature walks. The Nature Center was chosen as the site for this year’s Days of Caring because its work compliments United Way’s education agenda of providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to better position them for success in the future.
Over the course of the three days, volunteers built three new gardens and enhanced others, built fencing for a pumpkin garden, built a composting area, planted bushes for the United Way Children’s Sensory Trail, built and installed blue birdhouses, built an outdoor classroom space, painted the exterior of the building, and painted and enhanced two bathrooms, the kitchen and several indoor classrooms.
United Way Day of Caring has been a local tradition since 1992. In that time more than 8,000 corporate volunteers have devoted nearly 40,000 hours of service to the community.
Webster School second-grade students enjoyed making scarecrows which became part of the Trumbull Nature & Arts Center’s hayride trail during their Fall Festival October 20.
Webster School students learned about the natural habitats of birds and made bird feeders out of pinecones and bird seed that were hung from trees at the Nature Center.
Students from the Agri-science Regional High School in Trumbull gained leadership skills by leading the Webster School students in several projects. Seen here, they are building blue bird houses.
The two second-grade classes at Webster School finished their morning fieldtrip with a nature walk through the nine acre property at the Trumbull Nature & Arts Center. Trumbull Park Ranger Mark Ceneri led the group and pointed out snake-skins that had been shed and other points of interest.
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