Environmental Symposium

Here’s a new word for your science vocabulary list: Eutrophication. If you ask one of our fourth graders, I expect they can define it for you. It is the process through which decomposition uses the O₂ from water to change the plant and animal life in a lake or bay. Our fourth graders study of eutrophication began last month both in science class and on their trip to Echo Hill, and it was the focus of a project that they presented in the Environmental Symposium today.

The Environmental Symposium (formerly known as the Mold Symposium) is an annual gathering of fourth grade classes from five area Friends schools in which the students present the results of their scientific explorations as well as entertaining skits and songs that they have created related to their project. We have been glad to host the symposium, now in its 29th year, for the past several years.

One of the nicest aspects of the gathering is the friendships that quickly develop among students from the different schools. After a morning full of workshops and lunch, the students went out into our school yard for recess. It was heartening to see groups forming for various games that included students from different schools -- all without teacher direction! Everyone gathered in a circle for one last "F-R-I-E-N-D-S" cheer before our guests headed back to their own schools. I know our fourth graders are looking forward to sharing the Harrisburg trip with their friends from Goshen Friends School and Friends School Haverford, later this month.