The cohesiveness of the Walnut Elementary School neighborhood, coupled with participation in Leadership Emporia, has prompted school principal Ben Coltrane to try to organize a community association to work for the betterment of the neighborhood.
“We have a really good community feel here in the school, I believe,” Coltrane explained. “Parents feel welcome to come in. We’ve got a lot of people who come and play on the playground weekends and evenings, and they’ll work really well together.”
The association meshes well with Coltrane’s experiences in Leadership Emporia and the school’s mission, as stated on a banner posted at Walnut: “Leadership and Educational Service.”
“We try and create leaders out of our students and we know to do that, one of the best ways to do that is by having service projects, having students learn how to serve others,” Coltrane said. “We’re not sure how large it will become.”
Coltrane has sent a letter to parents and neighbors to let them know that plans are underway to form the association.
“It could be as simple as beginning a neighborhood watch and having a contact list for neighbors,” he wrote. “If desired, we could decide on a special project to accomplish as a community.
“The association does not need to be focused on the school, but we are offering our services to become more integrated with the surrounding community.”
The first effort in the project will be an Earth Day Spring Cleanup on Wednesday.
Teachers, students and neighbors will join together to beautify the area in time for the outdoor activities that accompany warmer weather.
“We’re just going to see what the interest is out there,” Coltrane said.
Instead of attending elective after-school enrichment activities and classes, students will divide into groups, accompanied by teachers, to clean up approximately two-block areas in the neighborhood between 2:30 and 4 p.m. They’ll bring back the trash they pick up and sort it out for recycling, with the remaining debris going into a Dumpster provided by the city of Emporia, which is cooperating in the project.
A representative of Green Door Recycling will give information about recycling before the trash pick-up, Coltrane said.
The Dumpster will remain at the school for a week.
“It will be open and available to anyone in the community,” Coltrane said. “They’re going to let us set it up here on-site, then they’re going to dump it for us for free.”
Volunteers and workers from the college will come to the Earth Day clean-up to assist.
A session to discuss ideas for possible community association projects will be discussed at a meeting Saturday. More information may be had by calling Coltrane at 341-2288.
The Walnut Brownie Troop 30037 also is conducting a recycling project to bring in toys and games in good condition and materials that can be used for art activiites for children aged 1 to 6.
Outside toys, tricycles, dollhouses, and other larger toys also are needed. Arrangements for adults from the Brownie troop to pick up donations can be made by calling 343-8134.
The troop also will collect toilet tissue and paper towel rolls, egg cartons, baby food jars and containers, water bottles, Styrofoam packing, berry baskets, and similar items for use in the art projects.
Collection boxes will be available at the school from Wednesday through April 30.