School Desk

A tree grows at P.S. 24

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The Spuyten Duyvil School (P.S. 24) has a new Colorado blue spruce tree in its yard, thanks to the efforts of fifth-grade student Teddy Ganea. 

On Oct. 3, fourth- and fifth-grade students gathered around a fenced area of grass at the corner of Independence Avenue and West 235th Street as Teddy read a speech dedicating the new tree to his classmates and teachers at P.S. 24. Family members and politicians joined the boy.

“Today is a very special day for me,” he said. “Even kids can do great things like saving nature.” 

Planting a tree on the school’s grounds has been his goal since he started a Green Nature Club at P.S. 24 in third grade, with help from fourth-grade teacher Nick Dembowski. 

After convincing Assistant Principal Manny Verdi to move forward with his tree-planting plans, Teddy and the school teamed up with the New York Restoration Project (NYRP). The non-profit’s MillionTreesNYC initiative, which aims to plant 1 million trees throughout the five boroughs by 2015, aligned with Teddy’s vision.

“I wanted to help nature,” he said. “Sometimes when I look at Manhattan, I think, how can there be so many sky scrapers and [only] two trees?”

Teddy has followed NYRP’s work since Hurricane Sandy, when he noticed the saplings the group planted throughout city parks to replace trees felled by the storm.

With help from the school’s custodians, Teddy found the perfect spot for the tree, near a ramp leading to the school’s playground. He chose the Colorado blue spruce, he said, because it would grow well at the location, but would not take up too much space.

He was quick to add his choice was not a slight to the other arboreal possibilities. 

“I would have chosen pretty much any tree, because I love all trees equally,” said the student.

After reading his speech, Teddy made a symbolic dent at the planting site with his shovel. Teddy’s father George Ganea, Mr. Verdi and two visitors from NYRP joined in the digging efforts. 

Spuyten Duyvil School, P.S. 24, Teddy Ganea, Nick Dembowski, Manny Verdi, Green Nature Club, trees, Maya Rajamani
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