October 31, 2001

Hope springs eternal at Eastern

400 daffodil bulbs honor September 11 victims

By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
Springtime at Eastern Elementary School will serve as a reminder that life is continually renewed. Four hundred daffodils will bloom in a garden surrounding the flag pole to honor the victims of the September 11 tragedy.
The fifth-grade Recycle Club, under the guidance of teacher Karen Nelson, purchased the bulbs with funds raised by selling environmental T-shirts last spring. Daffodils were chosen because the color yellow represents friendship.
"The main objective of the club is to recycle within the school, but we took on this project because the kids thought that it was important," Nelson said.
Each student in the school was given a bulb to plant in the garden with the remaining 100 or so to be planted by the club.
Teachers also shared a poem "Make My Life a Little Light" adapted from M. Benthan-Edwards that, to assist in relating the events to planting flowers, new life and helping others.
Make My Life a Little Light
O make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow;
A tiny flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go
O make my life a little flower,
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although its place be small
O make my life a little staff,
Whereon the weak may rest,
That so what health and strength I have
May serve my neighbors best.