Storm King School students from more than 25 nations recently had a day off from classes to celebrate our community’s diversity and do something good for our planet. Spring weather and the natural beauty of our campus and local area served as the backdrop for a day full of activities, food, and fun at the School’s dual celebration of Earth Day and Global Community Day.
The program began with an assembly in the theater featuring presentations and discussions about Earth Day. Head of School Jonathan Lamb kicked off the morning with an introduction about the history of the School and the role of Storm King Mountain and the Scenic Hudson Decision in the birth of the national environmental movement. Other highlights included a presentation about environmentalists Rachel Carson and John Muir by Annie C. ‘24 and Alex K. ‘24, a lesson on making birdhouses by Christine S. ‘25, the reading of Earth Day poetry written by our students, and a presentation by the Spanish Club about environmental activist Nemonte Nenquimo. Before heading outdoors, many students gathered on stage to sing Pete Seeger’s classic “This Land is My Land” in their native languages.
For the rest of the morning, students volunteered for service opportunities on campus and in the surrounding area to commemorate Earth Day. Tree and seed planting, greenhouse cleanup, invasive species removal and trail maintenance in Black Rock Forest, and cleanup of local parks were only some of the green activities students enjoyed.
Upon their return to campus for lunch, Global Community Day began with Chef Andrew’s ‘global lunch’ featuring a wide variety of delicious courses from different regions of the world, including beef empanadas, pozole, samosas, falafel, sushi, tempura shrimp, and more.
After lunch, students from all the nations represented at SKS waved their national flags proudly in an international flag parade. For the remainder of the day, various cultural activities continued around campus, including Turkish coffee and Tibetan sand mandala-making, Latino dance lessons, henna painting, and more. Global Community Day concluded with a colorful Holi celebration on Ledoux Terrace– the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Many thanks go out to the faculty, staff, and students who worked to make Earth Day and Global Community Day successful this year.
