Earth Month at Grace
April at Grace was full of moments that connected students to the world beyond the classroom, and to their responsibility in it.
On April 29, Grace alumnus Gabe L. ’18 returned to speak at a combined Early Childhood and Lower School chapel. Now working at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Gabe shared his journey from Grace student to environmental professional, giving younger students an inspiring glimpse of where following curiosity and purpose can lead. He spoke about the DEP’s work keeping New York City’s water clean and encouraged students to do their part by reporting leaks, conserving water, and raising awareness in their communities. After chapel, Gabe made his way to the junior kindergarten classroom, where he fielded every question the JKers could throw at him, including where bathroom waste goes and who is responsible for cleaning the water. There were many big questions from our smallest scientists.
Earth Month brought a wave of creative and meaningful work from classrooms across the school. Hilary Harnischfeger’s third graders created artwork in celebration of Earth Day, Sylvie Larue’s students wrote about animals in French, and Ali Osborn’s class researched endangered animals and produced art pieces now on display in South Hall. Meanwhile, Mischa Antonio continues to lead the school’s Wecycle and Terracycle initiatives with the Middle School Earth Defense Team, keeping sustainability a living, year-round practice at Grace.
The Grace community also took its commitment off campus. In partnership with Grassroots Grocery, students and community members gathered in the Bronx for a Produce Party, unloading a truck filled with rescued unsold produce from the largest produce market in the country and delivering the harvest directly to neighbors in need. It was a hands-on reminder that small actions—showing up, doing the work, and driving it home—can have a real and immediate impact.
