Dr. Carmody Celebrates the Arrival of Spring With Tree-Planting Ceremony
Spring has officially sprung at ISA! To mark the beginning of the new season, on Tuesday, 23 March, Dr. Carmody, joined by three representatives from the ISA Green Team, as well as Facilities Coordinator Job Roggeveen, gathered in the newly refurbished pond area to take part in a tree-planting ceremony.
The Tree-Planting Ceremony
The socially-distanced ceremony was held to celebrate the beginning of spring in the Netherlands, as well as to mark one year of the restrictions brought by the coronavirus pandemic. Joined by Lower School Green Team representative Senna Spanjaard and Upper School Green Team representatives Sofia Bornfeld and Hendrix Hancock, Dr. Carmody planted the tree, as well as some spring bulbs. The development of the pond area eco-system and the tree-planting ceremony is symbolic of the beginning of a new season at ISA, bringing with it opportunities for growth and renewal for our whole community.
Conveying her enthusiasm, Dr. Carmody noted:
“Renew, refurbish, rejuvenate! All wonderful words that connect to the sense and spirit of Spring, as well as to the sense of hope and optimism for things to come. There are difficulties, conflicts, uncertainties, for sure. But, there is also hope that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t too far away. And, there is always optimism for the new and better future that we can build together. The transformation of the pond area at the will of the PTA in collaboration with the ISA, stands as a wonderful visual reminder of just what can be done in the spirit of continuous improvement. Thank you PTA. The ISA Facilities Team, in masterminding the tree planting, yet again provided the ISA Community with a ‘feel good’ moment and extended the area around the pool just beautifully. Thank you Facilities Team. Finally, thanks to Senna, Sofia and Hendrix. It was lovely to be around students again and to share this event with you!”
Pond Refurbishment Project
Horticultural company Donker Groen, with assistance from Job and the Facilities Team, have worked hard over the past several weeks to transform the pond area for the benefit of student learning. The project is supported by the PTA’s surplus budget from last year, and has involved clearing and draining the area, as well as rescuing several goldfish! The next step is to add decking to the area to ensure that students can safely access the pond.
One of our core beliefs at ISA is developing communities and we place a great deal of value on sustainable futures. As an accredited eco-school, we actively encourage our community to take part in local and global sustainable initiatives, and this eco-project is local indeed, taking place in our own backyard! Thank you to Dr. Carmody, Job and the Facilities Team, the PTA and the ISA Green Team who came together to make the refurbishment and the tree-planting ceremony possible.
