Earth Day at Bluebird Gap Farm: Hampton City Schools shine

Hampton City Schools (HCS) was proudly represented at the Earth Day celebration held on April 26, 2025, at Bluebird Gap Farm. The event, sponsored by Bluebird Gap Farm and Hampton Clean City Commission, featured the annual Earth Day Environmental Art Contest, a variety of student-led exhibits highlighting environmental knowledge and passion from kindergartners through high school students, and the unveiling of the Academy of Architecture, Environment, and Engineering’s litter awareness sculpture.

 

Art Contest Showcases Student Talent

Under the leadership of Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology art teacher Matthew Wilcox, and with support from art educators at Armstrong School for the Arts, Bethel High School, Cooper, Kecoughtan High School, Kilgore Gifted Center, Kraft Elementary School, and Smith Elementary School, 35 students displayed stunning works of art in the red barn. A special thanks goes to Patriot Realty for sponsoring this year’s art show.

 

The following students were recognized during the 11 a.m. awards ceremony:

• Kaama Garcia – Crayon Drawing, Elementary (Kraft, Ms. Achorn, 2nd Grade)
  
  
• Adeline Season – Marker Drawing, Elementary (Armstrong, Ms. Taylor, 4th Grade)
  
  
• Lilian Chen – Watercolor Painting, Middle School (Kilgore, Ms. Smith, 7th Grade)
  
  
• Basil Maynard – Printmaking, High School (Kecoughtan, Ms. Gordon, 11th Grade)
  
  
• Callie Brock – Fabrics and Needlework, High School (Kecoughtan, Ms. Gordon, 10th Grade)
  
  
• Angelica Jones – Paper Quilling, High School (Bethel, Thayer, 10th Grade)
  
  
• Luna Dugas – Two-Dimensional Media, High School (Kecoughtan, Ms. Rich, 9th Grade)
  
  

The School Pride in Action Committee encourages all aspiring artists to watch for this annual competition again next year.

 

Clubs and classes engage the community

Thirteen students from Kecoughtan’s Ecology Club, Prism Alliance, and Ladies and Gents in the Making presented a recycling game and helped participants start seeds. “It was fun to be out there volunteering,” shared student Anthony Rivera. Club sponsors Sally Lewis, Stephanie Booz, and Leteashu Jones were all present, with Lewis noting, “This event is an opportunity for the community to see what environmental clubs in the schools are doing and for students to showcase their knowledge.”

 

Fourth graders from Kilgore Gifted Center, led by teachers Paula Larson and Michele Ferrel, captivated visitors with a recycling sorting game, an environmental tic-tac-toe activity, and a compost demonstration. “It is so important to teach our youth environmental stewardship! This was a real confidence booster,” said Ferrel. Students were surprised by how many adults struggled to sort recyclables correctly.

 

Burbank’s youngest environmentalists make a big impact

Missy Powell-Riedl, a Burbank Elementary School kindergarten teacher with 33 years of experience, reflected, “Even the smallest lessons about recycling, planting, and respecting nature can inspire big changes.” Five of her students proudly introduced the public to the oysters they have been raising and helped attendees make bird feeders. Student Yasir Williams said, “I liked telling others about how oysters clean the water.”

Middle school leaders take action

Eighth-grade members of the Jones Magnet Middle School National Junior Honor Society, along with teacher Sheryl McLaughlin and sponsor Melissa Still, hosted an interactive booth. Visitors learned to distinguish between recyclable and non-recyclable materials and enjoyed Earth Day Bingo and coloring sheets. “By teaching children the principles of recycling, our students helped lay the foundation for a more sustainable and conscientious community,” said McLaughlin. Student Raegan White added, “When you take part in different activities or events, you get to share your ideas and help make decisions. If no one participated, nothing would change for the better.”

Phenix CHROME Club brings fun and facts

Phenix PreK-8 School fifth and sixth graders in the CHROME club, guided by sponsor Shaye Finney, developed Earth Day trivia questions for all age groups and demonstrated how to make tie-dye Earths using markers, coffee filters, and spray bottles. “This event gave the group an opportunity to share about their engineering club and also spread knowledge,” said Finney. Several parents expressed appreciation for their children’s first experience volunteering. Sixth grader Athena Vinyard shared, “I liked learning from teaching others because I just find enjoyment from that.”