First graders learn about the impact of recycling

For more than 50 years, people, of all ages, have been observing Earth Day. On April 22, some of our youngest Red Raiders joined that effort, determined to make a difference and improve their planet.

First grade students in Mrs. Kelli Smith’s class collected plastic items for two weeks in April to be recycled. Smith began this initiative several years ago.

“Due to COVID, we took a break from our efforts the past two years. The class was very excited to participate. We took two weeks in April to collect items. At least half of my class brought in plastic bottles, some brought entire garbage bags. We removed all of the bottle lids and donated them to the pre-K program to use for a multitude of projects. The kids eagerly counted and made tally marks as we sorted our bags into groups of 50,” she explained. “By Earth Day we collected 441 plastic bottles!”

Items collected by the first grade students will be recycled through a program being implemented in the Meyersdale School District, by the Life Skills class.

“I was excited to discover that Mr. McIver’s class was beginning to collect recyclable materials,” she added.

Smith said recycling was a topic covered throughout the month, as students participated in this and other activities, read books, and discussed the importance of recycling and working together to make the Earth clean.

“While taking care of our planet feels like a big job, I have always valued the importance of trying to do our part in some way. My goal is to teach my first grade students to have an awareness of their own actions about waste and how they impact the Earth daily,” Smith explained. “They may be little, but their actions can make a BIG difference over the span of their lifetime.”