Arbor Day a homegrown celebration for Kent

KENT — The Kent Center School (KCS) Arbor Day celebration on Friday, April 25, started off with the planting of a sugar maple tree that was provided by the Kent Conservation Commission and the Kent Garden Club. The ceremony then moved inside to the gym, where students and faculty read poetry, played music and displayed art projects.Students, faculty, and guests gathered outside the cafeteria in the rear of the school for the planting of the tree. Art teacher Al Coffill read a brief description of the sugar maple, explaining the features and advantages the tree would provide to the school in the future. A student representative from each grade was then called up to place a shovelful of dirt onto the roots.The ceremony then moved inside, where two students explained the history and significance of Arbor Day, which was started by Birdsey Grant Northrop of Kent.According to the Kent Historical Society, Northrop was born in Kent in 1817. He came from a farming family that did not believe in formal education. After much lobbying, Northrop convinced his father to send him to Yale University. He later became one of the first advocates for an American Arbor Day celebration in schools. He traveled around the country promoting the idea. In 1883, the American Forestry Association officially recognized Northrop’s plan and the new national celebration of trees and nature. It wasn’t until almost a century later, in 1970, that President Richard Nixon declared the last Friday in April as national Arbor Day.Poster contestFollowing the history lesson, First Selectman Bruce Adams announced the results of the recycling poster contest that was held at the school. Ninety KCS students submitted posters. Winners were selected from each grade, with a second and third place also rewarded. Each winner was given a check for $25 and a certificate. Two years ago, Kent placed second in a statewide contest for recycling e-waste and received $2,000. That money was put into a fund to be used for the winners of the KCS poster contest each Arbor Day. Third-grade winner Anna Brown was also recognized for placing third in the regional contest.Band Director David Poirier then led the school in a sing along of “The Rattlin’ Bog,” which was followed by poetry readings and other speakers.