Just three months after the prestigious Park Century School moved from West L.A. into Culver City, a group of environment-minded students was invited to City Hall last night to be honored by the Parks and Recreation Commission.
The boys and girls didn’t take long to make a strong civic mark on their new hometown.
Through the recycling program at private Park Century, the students raised hundreds of dollars and made a donation to the city’s Park Enhancement Program.
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The Parks and Recreation Commission last night honored Park Century School’s young environmentalists. From left, Commissioner Rick Hudson, faculty leader Laure Arnoff, Ryan Rojany, Jenny Reno, Commission Chair Anita Shapiro, Commissioner Vicki Daly Redholtz, Georgie Moskowitz, Trent Carpenter, Maya Freeman, Commissioner Marianne Kim, Jason Schoen, Dash Katz and Commissioner Jeff Cooper. (Photo by Arthur Hoyle).
Dash Katz, Jason Schoen, Maya Freeman, Trent Carpenter, George Moskowitz, Jenny Reno and Ryan Rojany, along with their faculty leader, Laure Arnoff, stood in the spotlight in the well of Council Chambers and smilingly posed for photos with the five members of the Commission.
Speaking Out
Afterward, Dash and Trent, student co-chairs, both spoke about their years’ long involvement in school-related environmental activities.
Dash is an eighth-grader. He said that three years ago when the Student Council introduced a recycling program, “I wanted to participate because I like helping the environment.” Why does he believe this endeavor is important? “Because,” said Dash, “we are all living on this planet, and we should take care of our home.”
Even though Trent is just a sixth-grader, this also is his third year in the recycling program. Trent told the newspaper he enjoys the activity “very much” because the special care that students bring to the environment contributes to saving the lives of vulnerable animals. In the process of recycling bottles and cans, Trent says he has influenced his family to be more sensitive about helping to preserve the planet.
According to Hoyle
Arthur Hoyle, Director of Development for Park Century School, said that there is not necessarily a special emphasis on environmental sensitivity. “But the kids are aware of the importance of living clean and living green,” he said. “It certainly is something that is talked about in the classes as part of the curriculum. There are often projects, units on the environment.”
Shifting from the swirl of constant activity on the rim of West L.A. to an immensely more spacious new two-story facility on Landmark Street just east of Downtown in slightly more reserved Culver City has been calming on grownups and the children.
“Everything is much more relaxed and quieter this year,” Mr. Hoyle said. “There is more focus. More room to do things in. You can walk around the building now and see activities going on simultaneously. Before, they had to be stacked because there was only one room where activities could be done.
“We have students in the library now doing research where before, half of the time the library doubled as a classroom.”
