The Week of the Young Child

April 13th – April 17th, 2026

Artsy Thursday – 3D Art Display

During Week of the Young Child, our students participated in meaningful experiences that celebrated music, wellness, teamwork, creativity, science, and family involvement. Throughout the week, students engaged in hands-on learning activities that encouraged exploration, collaboration, and self-expression.

A special highlight of the week was Artsy Thursday, where students proudly showcased beautiful 3D artwork created using recycled materials from our “Beautiful Junk Bin.” As an Eco-friendly and Biodiversity School, we encourage our students to care for the environment by reusing everyday materials in creative and purposeful ways. The 3D art exhibition displayed in the school lobby reflected our commitment to sustainability, environmental awareness, and creative thinking. Students explored how recyclable materials can be transformed into meaningful works of art while learning the importance of protecting our Earth and appreciating the diversity found in nature.

 

Eco‑Committee Focus for the Year: Biodiversity

During our initial Eco‑Committee meeting on February 17, 2026 student ambassadors reviewed several possible themes for the year and completed a voting graph to make their final decision. After tallying the results, the students selected Biodiversity as our school‑wide focus.

This year, the Eco‑Committee will work on projects that support and protect living things in our environment. Our main initiatives will include expanding our school garden and creating a new pollinator garden next to the vegetable beds. These activities will help students learn about the importance of plants, insects, and animals, and how we can care for the planet together.

Growing More Than Vegetables: A Lesson in Compassion,

Teamwork, and Community

October 2025

Thanks to our Kids Dig In! School Garden service-learning project, our students didn’t just grow vegetables—they grew a deeper understanding of generosity, teamwork, and community impact. Together, they harvested a vibrant array of eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers from our school garden, each one picked with care and purpose. These fresh, nutritious crops were donated to The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, directly supporting families in need within our local community. This effort was far more than a single classroom project—it was a school-wide collaboration. Multiple teachers joined forces, guiding their students through the harvest and instilling the values of service and empathy. One teacher even extended the spirit of giving by contributing produce from his own family garden, a gesture that beautifully reinforced the message that kindness starts at home and spreads outward.

In the classroom, the learning continued. Students created graphs to represent the quantities of vegetables collected, sparking meaningful math discussions and hands-on exploration. They examined the characteristics and benefits of each vegetable, touching and observing them closely, making the experience both educational and unforgettable. But the most powerful lessons were found in the reflective illustrations the students created. Our students learned what it means to work together for a greater good. They saw how collective action—teachers, students, and families united—can create real change. They discovered that generosity is amplified when shared, and that even small acts can ripple outward to brighten lives. We’ve captured these moments in photos that reflect the joy, pride, and purpose of our students and staff. This garden has grown more than vegetables—it has grown connection, compassion, and a culture of giving. It’s a testament to what’s possible when a school community comes together with heart.

Growing to Give 

On October 15, 2025, the students from room 131 took a special trip to the school garden! The children were full of excitement as they explored the garden path, observed colorful flowers, buzzing bees, and even a few wiggly worms. They talked about how plants grow and what they need to stay healthy — sunlight, water, and care. The children had a chance to dig in the soil, smell herbs like mint and basil, and water some of the plants with small watering cans. As part of their garden exploration and lessons on kindness, this Pre-K class participated in a very special activity — donating fresh-picked vegetables from the school garden. With helping hands and happy hearts, the students picked vegetables and then donated them to The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

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School Garden - September 2025

September has brought new energy to our garden as we welcome many new students to our school! We've loved seeing students and teachers visiting the garden for the first time, eager to explore and learn about the plants growing there.

This month, teachers and students will take turns caring for the garden, sharing responsibilities to nurture and maintain our growing plants. The teamwork and enthusiasm were wonderful to witness!

Our garden continues to flourish with more tomatoes and eggplants ripening on the vines. We’re excited to watch this season’s harvest grow and to involve our new students in the hands-on experience of gardening.

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Earth Week April 22nd - April 26th 

Earth Week

Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center School No. 51 celebrated Earth Week from April 22nd-26th. They began their weeklong celebration by starting an ongoing planting project in their ‘school community garden.’ Parents were invited to be a part of their child’s learning as well by assisting their child to create a poster explaining how he/she can help the environment.  Other activities included cleaning up the classrooms and working on activities focused on sorting recyclables and trash. Lastly, students and staff members collected aluminum cans that were donated to a local firehouse to help support the Saint Barnabas Burn Unit.

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3D Art Display 'Week of the Young Child' Article

As an ECO- School, we take the initiative to teach our young learners the importance of recycling.  Throughout the school year, recyclable items are collected and placed in the ‘beautiful junk’ bin.  They are later used to create projects in the classrooms. During the week of April 8^th. we celebrated ‘The Week of the Young Child.’ As part of the week-long celebration, all the classrooms featured projects created in the classroom using recycled materials from their ‘beautiful junk’ bin.  Students exhibited their work in the main lobby for everyone to see.

"America Recycles Day" Article

The teachers in rooms 131 & 135 celebrated America Recycles Day by reading numerous books in the classroom to the students that raised awareness about recycling.  After reading the book, ‘If I Had a robot’ the students showed interest in creating their own robots.  Students created robots in the classroom using materials from the ‘beautiful junk bin’ which further infused the importance of reusing and recycling materials.  As a home & school connection activity, parents were invited to join in their children's learning experience by working with their child to create a robot using recycled materials in the home. In addition to learning about the importance of making a difference in saving natural resources, this topic lent itself to conversation that offered students many opportunities for language development.  Some of the questions between teacher/students and student/student interactions included: Why is it important to recycle? How can we make a difference by recycling/reusing materials?  

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"Little Eco-Heroes in Action”

During October 2^nd, the students in Room 141 worked on an exciting activity about Recycling. The preschoolers embarked on an exciting journey to learn about the vital importance of recycling. After reading the story “Can I Recycle This?”, the teacher, Mrs. Regalo encouraged the young learners to share their thoughts and ideas about what recycling meant to them, fostering a sense of curiosity and awareness. Once they were familiar with the idea of recycling, they were introduced to a magical tool – the Recycle Bin. With enthusiasm and anticipation, they were invited to actively participate in the process of sorting items that could be recycled. This hands-on activity not only made learning fun but also instilled fundamental principles of environmental responsibility and stewardship. Together, they took their first steps toward creating a more sustainable world, one small act of recycling at a time.

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Earth Week

Apri 24^th – April 28^th, 2023

Home & School Connection Activity

From April 24- 28 the students and staff members celebrated “Earth Week”. The students were encouraged to create posters with their families on how they can help the environment. They shared their ideas with their peers in school to help promote our Eco-School code, "We are green. We are cool. We recycle in our school."

 

Mrs. Kokoszka & Mrs. Torres Room 124

Mrs. Aleixo & Mrs. Ruvalcaba  Room 128

Survive and Grow!

During the week February 25^th., the students in Room 124 & 128 are working on experiments with plants in their classrooms. Recently they used an Acapulco Pepper Plant to test what would happen if you do not water plants for 12 days. The students observed that on the 12th day the plant looked as if it was dying. They tested their experiment further and watered the plant and watched it come back to life. The students now understand the importance of watering plants to help them survive and grow.

Mr. Kong & Mrs. Delaroca  Room 119

Observing Wildlife Behaviors

During the week of February 10^th., recycled items were used to build a bird feeder, so students can observe the wildlife behaviors in our area from our classroom window. The bird feeder was part of our school’s initiative to expand our student’s knowledge on the biodiversity surrounding us while continuing to follow our school eco mission “We are green, we are cool, we recycle in our school.”. By observing the birds and learning about their role in our ecosystem, students have a better understanding and appreciation for life around them.

School-Wide Classroom Helpers at Work!

The students at Donald Stewart School 51  are active classroom helpers.  The students are always looking for ways to lend a hand and to lead throughout the school day. They develop leadership skills and independence as they take on these roles.  Our botanists, sanitation manager, and animal keepers below are at work helping during the daily classroom routine. Teachers create lessons to engage students in decision making such as voting on what to name the classroom pet.  February 2020

 

 

 

Mrs. LeFever & Mr. Marroquin  Room 134

Mrs. Villar & Mrs. Llano  Room 138

'Artic Animals'

During the winter months, the students were curious to find out what animals do when it gets cold. The students in rooms 134 & 138 did some investigating about artic animals. They learned about penguins, polar bears, white hares, seals and walruses. The students also learned that it is important to help the planet by recycling, saving electricity and learning about these other habitats to help save these animals now and in the future. They documented their findings on graphs which are often revisited by the students.   February 2020

Mrs. Aleixo & Mrs. Ruvalcaba    Room 128

Mrs. Kokoszka & Mrs. Torres    Room 124

'Recycling' Truck

During the month of January, the students in Rooms 124 & 128 are learning about the recycling process by creating a Recycling Truck. They used recycled art materials located in the beautiful junk bin in the classroom.  The students are activitely engaged in this school wide initative to 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' by reusing and recycling materials throughout the school day.  They place recyclable materials in a recycle bin located in the classroom.  Parents are also encouraged to pariticpate in their child's learning by engaging in similar activities in the home. 

 

 

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Eco-School Student Meeting

 On June 6^th., the Eco-School’s Student Panel was back in action to brainstorm new ways to save energy. They are excited to try walking, riding their bikes, and riding scooters to get around locally instead of using cars to help reduce their environmental waste and save energy. We hope that all parents will help our student’s carry out these initiatives over the warmer months.  The student panel also chose next year’s schoolwide initiative to explore Biodiversity. The students will be learning about animals and plants next year to further understand the world around them and how they can help our eco-systems thrive. We are extremely excited to start this new endeavor. We hope all our past and future students are ready to dive into these new topics in September 2019!  

ECO-School USA Silver Award

On June 6, 2019 our school was recognized once again for our hard-work in implementing a recycling and energy conservation program with an Eco-Schools USA Silver Award! The students continue to work together to help our environment and help save the planet.

Eco-School Student Meeting

On April 1, 2019 we held our first student based Eco-School committee meeting. The students were chosen by their teachers to represent their homeroom and discuss our school initiative to help the environment. The students then went back to their classrooms and shared what they learned at the meeting. It was a great experience and excellent way to hear what the children are learning and what they want to see in their future.

 

ECO-School USA Bronze Award

On March 20^th., our school was recognized for our hard-work in implementing a recycling program with a very prestigious Eco-Schools USA Bronze Award! We are very proud of our students and staff for their determination to help the environment. We are working on achieving the Eco-Schools USA Silver Award by reducing our energy consumption. Please help us at home by turning off lights and electronic devices when they are not in use and stressing the importance of saving energy with your children. We will continue to recycle everyday in our schools and continue spreading the word about our initiatives throughout the community. Thank you for all your support and everything you do to help educate our young learners to respect and care for the environment.

 

Waste Audit

Our initiative set forth by the students and Eco-School Committee, to begin recycling has shown great progress. After this month’s consumption and waste audit we found that we have successfully reduced our waste by 214.24 pounds! We also collected over 240 pounds of recyclable materials during the week of December 3, 2018.We are extremely pleased and excited with our progress. Our community of students, parents and staff are making great strides towards helping reduce our waste and teach our young learners the importance of working together to save the planet.

Recycling Manager

October 31, 2018

Our school-wide recycling program has begun. Each classroom has assigned a helper job for a classroom Recycling Manager. The students are using bins that have been donated to sort and collect paper, plastic, and cans. The Recycling Manager helps the students sort the materials and is also in charge of bringing the recyclables out for the custodial staff to collect outside each classroom door. We are very proud of our progress and the responsibility we are instilling in our students to help the planet and our environment. Our recycling schedule follows the city of Elizabeth’s recycling pick-ups. Every Tuesday afternoon we have begun bringing out our recycling. We rotate paper and plastic every other week.

 

 

 ''We Will Recycle''

October 18, 2018

School #51’s teachers, staff and students are going Green! Our Eco-School Committee is dedicated to the National Wildlife Federations initiative to teach our youngest learners about helping the environment. We chose a pathway that includes teaching the students to reduce, reuse and recycle materials to lower our school’s consumption. We have received donations of recycling bins for each classroom through Donor’s Choose and The Union County Freeholders. It is our goal to have every student take part in our school’s recycling program and learn how their actions impact our environment. Please visit the NWF’s Eco-School’s website to learn more about the journey that we are embarking on together with the student’s and the community. https://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA.aspx

 

 

 _{Harvest Time}

_{During the months of September and October,the students were very busy upon the start of our school year tending to our new garden. The pictures show them happily harvesting the ripened vegetables and caring for the plants.  This project taught our students many aspects of caring for a garden as well as the entire growth process of seeds flourishing into plants that provide food for us to eat.  We yielded enough produce to share with the classrooms and we donated a bag of vegetables to the First Baptist Church on Union Avenue in Elizabeth.  The children were especially excited in being a part of feeding people in need.  We will soon be closing the boxes and prepping them for next spring.} 

   

    

   

 

_{2018 Union County Kids Dig In! School Grant Program}

 _{Congratulations to Donald Stewart School No. 51 for being awarded a grant by the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. Thank you to Chairmen, Mr. Sergio Granados and Mr. Alexander Mirabella for awarding our school with the 2018 Union County Kids Dig In! School Grant Program.  Schools with students in grades pre-K through 12 were eligible to apply for a Union County Kids Dig In grant. The grants are funded through the Union County Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados started this initiative last year as Open Space Chairman to encourage students, school staff and parents to grow healthy produce for students in their own schools and to donate 30 percent of their harvest to local soup kitchens, food pantries, or community residents in need. This experience will have a lasting impact on our youth and encourage giving back to others throughout their lives. Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados has always been of the mindset that we must find ways to help others in need, and Kids Dig In is a perfect example of paying it forward while also learning about agriculture and stewardship of the land.  The grant program covers produce gardens including vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, herbs and spices, pollinator-attracting plants and plants for pest management.  Gardens must agree to set aside 30% of their harvest for community donation and enroll in Come Grow With Us! a free countywide information and resource sharing network for community gardens.}

_{June 2018}

            

         

 "Green Team" Recycling Program

The “Green Team” - Eco-School Committee began auditing the school on June 18, 2018 to see just how “green” we really are. Each classroom was introduced to the importance of taking care of our school and our community by wasting less and recycling more. The students began the journey by collecting all the garbage they produced in the classroom throughout the day in one large trash receptacle.  Then we weighed our receptacles to see how much garbage we accumulated in one day.  Now the students will be encouraged to implement and use their own recycling program every day in the classroom. At the end of the 2018-2019 school year we will weigh our trash again to see if we are producing less waste after we have implemented our own recycling programs.                                    

2018 Union County Kids Dig In: A School Garden Program