Sunday, May 7, 2017

Arbor Day - April 28, 2017

Starlight Dogwood Planting - Langley Middle School - April 28, 2017
Bloodgood Japanese Maple Planting - Langley Middle School - April 28, 2017
For Arbor Day this year, students in my 8th grade Language Arts / Social Studies block class proposed we hold a multi-day bake sale to raise money for trees. Many students gave freely of their time to bake for the sale. Over the course of three days, we earned $216.50!

Pre-Sale Poster - Langley Middle School Hallway
Working the Sale
Cheesecake Selections
The afternoon before Arbor Day, my dad and I took his pick-up to Venture Out Nursery on Maxwelton road. There, I picked out a Bloodgood Japanese Maple and a Starlight Dogwood tree. Both were planted in front of Langley Middle School on April 28th.

Calculated Digging
Working in Compost
Showing Commitment
Students composed poems and drew pictures of what the trees will look like in twenty years. I look forward to continuing this tradition as we move to South Whidbey High School next year.

- - - - -

The Lone Tree

The sun illuminates so brightly,
The sight of it simply delights me.
Watch it grow over the years,
It might just bring you to tears.
It must be strong enough for the long winter,
but when you put your hands on it,
Try not to get a splinter.

- Kaidyn Brinks


Imitation

Flowing in the wind
Free as the sky
Beautiful shades of all colors
So strong, an axe would just bruise it
So why can’t we go and flow
Why can’t we be free as the sky
Why can’t we have shades of all kinds and love them
Why can’t we be strong
Why can’t we be like that tree?

- Joanie Welever


Dogwood

So soft,
For our fingers to touch,
So beautiful,
For our eyes to see,
So warm,
For the animals to live in,
So colorful,
For our own pleasure.

- Miracle Harvey


Dear Giving Tree,

How are you?
I’m fine.
Heard autumn wasn’t light.
I hope you have fully recovered.

Listen, I’ve met another.
She is a maple and really nice.
She doesn’t have pokey bark like you.
She is an amazing listener.

I planted her in my yard.
I read next to her and we have picnics every day.
I still remember the times we had so,
Hope we can stay friends.

Sincerely,
Boy

- Brent Batchelor


Arbor Day

To day is the day
A perfect day
To plant a tree you see
Will have so much fun
And when we're done
 we will wait till next spring
To plant another one

- Tayla Hymas


Time

Once the perfect ground is detected,
This tree will be planted, forever protected.
But the anger of man does not yield,
And soon the perfect ground becomes a hardy battlefield.
Some may marvel at it’s leaves stained red,
But few know they are stained with the blood of men long dead.

- Callum Cassee


Japanese Maple

Sometimes dark,
But the older it gets,
the younger it looks,
So sweet and simple,
A Japanese Maple

- Luke Stadler


Dogwood Tree

You’re small and weak now
You will have a hard time at the beginning
But we will help you
You will get all the food and water you need
You will grow to be big and strong
Your large branches will extend far
Creating shade for the bunnies on a hot summer day
In a few years your flowers will sprout
and those who drive by
will be in awe of your beauty

- Samantha Daly


Maple

Maple standing so small
It’s red leaves spread out
It’s thin trunk sways in the wind
It gives off little shade
But it makes a beautiful day

- Lily Farnham


Goodnight

O’ great tree
With vibrant hues
Shine your starlight
Down on me tonight

- Trent Hogarth


The Good Blood

Drip, drop, falling from the leaves
Painted in deep red hues
Vibrant against the emerald grass
Praise the good blood

- Trent Hogarth


Dear Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree,

Please
Please
Please
Grow fast!
I’ve seen pictures of others like you
And you’re gorgeous!
Your leaves are a beautiful
Mix of pink and red
They would make our school
Look welcoming
And colorful
So
Please
Please
Please
Grow fast!

- Ashley Lynch


“Cornus luce Stellarum”

The only life that sits in front of my own,
two binocular lenses, my eyes,
is the Starlight Dogwood tree, in the middle of the road.

The tree is respected for this town
with a limited amount of life resources.
Everyone will do anything to avoid ruining the tree.

The delicate white leaves lightly sway with the wind.
The small tree smiles as the people
bow down to the Starlight Dogwood.

One day, a non-native from the small town crushed
the only thing the town wanted, needed or basically had… the tree!
The town became weaker and weaker every second without the tree.

- Camille White


Maple

Maple maple
Grow so high
Grow so high you touch the sky
So everyone can see your beautiful light
And spread your happiness so far
That even the darkest corners
Can see some cheer
Maple maple
Grow so high

- Ian Maddux


Arbor Day

Baby tree, baby tree
Leaves infused with children’s glee
Gifting you with growing free

For now you’re standing very small
But one day you will grow quite tall
And create happiness for all

Your leaves will produce lovely shade
That’s where we will have it made
Beauty that is not manmade

- Natalie Rodriguez


Tree Poem

Red is the top of your fingers                              
Brown is your back
You make us prosper and thrive
You fill our lungs with life giving air
You stay with this dying world
And you stay strong

- Gabe Lusk


BLOODGOOD

leaves red
tints of maroon
colors of fall
branches thin but strong

full of leaves
bushy and thick
bold and bright

the tall tree stands
representing autumn
having beauty and grace
whimsical and long
a bloodgood

- Calyna Saephan


Bloodgood Maple

Purple, red, yellow and green
How many colors could be on this tree?
Many, many years this tree will be living,
Just going to the end,
Which is really the beginning.

- Thomas Simms


Starlight Dogwood

Starlight dogwood, starlight dogwood,
How people smile at you,
Your sweet smell,
And your silky white leaves,
Oh how they smile at you.

- Krisann Turnbull-Agnew


Maple Memories

Maple trees,
Red as hibiscus passion teas,
They swoosh and sway,
Growing old someday,
Standing proud,
Flustered with roots that are profound,
I love to look and listen,
To the breezy leaf crinkling sound.

- Raven Winter


Japanese Maple

Red like your flag
White wood like sushi
Tall like mountains
But red like blood

- Preston Leon


Trees

Trees, so green
They can be small or big.
There's a variety of colors,
Some red some white
Trees can be themselves,
They can grow any way,
Anywhere they want.
Its okay to grow,
Just be you.

- Jason Drake

Japanese Maple by Jasmine Fletcher
Untitled

The tree glimmers,
Filled with colors of gold,
The tree shimmers,
Protecting us from the freezing cold,
We are not bigger,
We have no hold,
Let us all consider,
This has gotten old,
Let us all stop our snickers,
Let this century be retold.

- Felicity Watson


Japanese Maple

Japanese  Maple
Short yet stable
Calmly sits
Next to the table
Waiting to be planted
In front of the school
Japanese Maple
Is very cool

- Caleb Burns


Bloodgood Japanese Maple

Maroon maple leaves,
Dancing in the wind.
A little splash of color,
In this forest of green.
Maroon maple leaves,
On this one, Japanese tree.

 - Aidan Donnelly


Cherry Blossoms

As the cherry blossoms
Fall from the tree it fills
You with determination knowing
One that one day it will grow tall.

- Jasmine Fletcher


Tree House

Green everywhere,
brown shooting up,
and sprawling everywhere
glimpses of the bright
yellow sun, shine
through.
A giggle echoing
through the big
green giants
thumping is
heard on the leafy
floor.
A child jumps
from tree to tree
scaling all of
them.
The giants sway
back and forth,
soothing the little
creature to sleep.
The branches
enclose around her
blanketing her from
the outside.

- Rachel Harder


A Tree Stands Tall

A tree stands tall over the town
Thinking that it will never fall
For even in the wind, the storm,
The axe, or the machine,
Nothing would ever break it’s pride
As it stood tall over all other things

- Brennen Pearson