Yesterday was the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. In 1970, the first Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans--10% of the U.S. population at that time--who called for increased protections to safeguard the environment. I was a senior in high school on that first Earth Day, and I remember it vividly. It was such an empowering moment! Even as teenagers, we realized that we should, we could, and we would improve the world through our collective actions. That first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement, and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event. Things are obviously different this year due to the global pandemic, however, the goal of Earth Day is still the careful and considered stewardship of the earth.
At James River, we have W.O.W.-- the Word of the Week--which is sent out to the whole school each Monday. It is fitting that this week’s word is stewardship. Stewardship is defined as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care.”* There are many ways that the James River Day School community serves as stewards to the world around us. If you have made a donation to the Cardinal Annual Fund, you acted as a steward for the school’s ability to provide the exceptional educational experience that our students deserve. And, in return, the school carefully uses those donations to ensure that the funds are used exclusively to enhance the students’ education.
In our online classrooms, we have shared the message of Earth Day. In kindergarten, students have drawn pictures of the earth and suggested ways to save energy and water. In first grade, students are studying the life cycle of butterflies. One first grader sang a poem about Earth Day, while others created posters asking everyone to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Sixth graders have been studying genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The kids learned about the health and environmental impacts of GMOs, both good and bad. Then, they wrote essays using what they learned as evidence to make an informed decision about where they stand on the issue of whether we should be using genetically modified foods and how they could help or hurt the Earth and its people. Our students will one day be the decision-makers for our society. What they are learning now gives them a firm grounding as stewards of our environment, our community, and our world.