NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
March 29, 2012 Walnut, CA 91789Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909) 595-1261 ext. 31204
Vejar Students Plant Apple Trees
WALNUT, CA--Vejar Elementary School third grade students recently planted six apple trees in celebration of their recent studies about Johnny Appleseed.
The fruit trees were donated by the families of students T.J. Ormiston in Mr.Jim Brandenburgh's class and Shaun Chen in Mr. Rick Lantow's class.
Generations of future Vejar students will surely enjoy them for many years to come!
Second grade students have also read about Johnny Appleseed and fifth grade teachers are excited for some hands-on learning activities about the life cycle trees, fruit, and seeds, Lantow said.
Johnny Appleseed was a U.S. pioneer and folk hero who began collecting apple seeds from cider presses in Pennsylvania in the early 1800’s. He traveled west to the Ohio River valley, planting apple seeds along the way. He also tended 1,200 acres of his own orchards and was responsible for hundreds of square miles of others, having sold or given away thousands of apple seedlings to pioneers. His kind and generous nature, devout spirituality, affinity for the Indians and the wilderness, and eccentric appearance made him a legend.
Students in Mr. Lantow's third grade class shared the following thoughts about the lesson and planting project.
"Johnny Appleseed loved apple trees, that's why my family wanted to donate the apple trees," said Shaun Chen.
"It was a big experience learning about Johnny Appleseed,” Lylac Joellson said.
Nathan Quintanar said that Johnny Appleseed planted over 9,000 apple trees. And his real name was actually Johnny Chapman, added Isaac Campos.
Shown:
Students T.J. Ormiston and Shaun Chen with one of the apple trees planted near the third grade classrooms.