CPE 4th and 5th grade students recently completed phase II of the Playground Tree Project. Four sweetgum trees were planted in a vacant strip along Bush Street. Two of these trees were donated by Four Seasons Nursery on Crater Lake Avenue, and two others were donated by Shooting Star Nursery on Taylor Road. (Be sure to stop in and thank Tim at Four Season and Scott and Christie at Shooting Star for their support!) In keeping with giving students “ownership” of the trees, each class gave the tree it planted a name. Stewie, Mr. Tree, and Toto now grace the south side of the school grounds. The fourth tree was named Jeremiah Masoli after the Duck quarterback, but his recent brush with the law has prompted Ms. McNeil’s class to consider a new name.

Students from Room 15 also planted two new trees, these on the north side of the property along Ash Street. Former principal Brock Rowley sponsored two deodar cedars in hopes that they will one day lend balance to the campus, complimenting the two 77-year-old deodars on the southeast corner. Our two new cedars are named Mojo and TreeBob BucketPants.

Though one of our gum trees from last year’s planting recently met its end at the hands of vandals, it was quickly replaced (again courtesy of Mr. Rowley) with a Shumard oak tree. This tree is substantially bigger than the little gum seedling it replaced, and because it tolerates poor soil and dry conditions, it is much better suited to the site. We look forward to it providing playground shade to many future generations of CPE kids.