Growing a Greener Future: Kujawa Elementary Students Help Plant 27 Trees

Disponible en:

Kujawa Elementary students and staff join Aldine ISD district staff and community volunteers during the H-E-B Trees for Texans tree-planting event on Oct. 6.

Kujawa Elementary School students, staff and volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty as they came together to plant 27 trees on campus Oct. 6, creating greener outdoor spaces for students to enjoy.

The tree planting was made possible through H-E-B’s Trees for Texans program, which provides native trees to schools near newly opened H-E-B stores. Kujawa Elementary was selected following the opening of a nearby Joe V’s Smart Shop last fall.

Emma Shamon, with H-E-B Environmental Affairs, shared the company’s commitment to giving back to local schools and creating spaces where students can learn and play.

“Trees are the gifts that keep on giving,” Shamon said. “We’re here to help promote healthier schools and cooler schools. We’re going to have more shade for the kids to play under, and it’s going to have a great impact on the school and community.”

For Kujawa Elementary Principal Delilah St. Julian, the addition of the trees represents more than an improvement to the campus. It is an investment in the students and their learning environment.

“We are so grateful for H-E-B’s generous donation and investment in our students and school,” St. Julian said. “The trees will provide not only beauty but also shade for our students. Just like the trees, we will get to watch our students grow and thrive.”

Before students began planting, Jaden Kelly, with the Texas A&M Forest Service, demonstrated how to properly plant and care for trees. He also discussed the importance of planting trees and their lasting impact on school communities.

“This is something we get to be a part of that will have an impact on generations to come,” Kelly said. “We are doing this for the hundreds, if not thousands, of students who will come through this school in the future.”

Kujawa Elementary fourth grader Stoni Charles and second grader Maxcell Spriggs help plant a tree during the H-E-B Trees for Texans event

For Kujawa Elementary fourth grader Stoni Charles, the event was an opportunity to learn something new while helping improve the school’s playground.

“I’m really excited because we didn’t have that many trees on our playground last year,” Charles said. “Now we’ll have shade, and we can read books under the trees. I also loved learning how to plant a tree.”

Second grader Maxcell Spriggs was ready to get to work. After watching the tree-planting demonstration, he was excited to put what he learned into practice and plant as many trees as he could.

“It’s fun learning how to plant trees, and I’m going to plant 100,” Spriggs said.

See more photos from the tree-planting event here.