Stewards at Steward: Gateway students help provide environmentally friendly alternatives for Earth Day

In 1970, the nation’s first Earth Day ushered in an era of American conscientiousness on behalf of the environment.

Well, maybe that finally will start happening in earnest a few generations down the road, thanks to people like Kassandra Poliziani.

The kindergarten teacher at Gateway’s Dr. Cleveland Steward Jr. Elementary is — appropriately enough, given the school’s name — educating her students on how to be good stewards.

“We’ve been learning about science,” she said, “and I wanted to do something that got them involved with their community so that they feel like they’re doing something to make a difference, even as they are so young.”

In time for April 22, she has them drawing and coloring Earth Day-related pictures and messages on brown paper grocery bags, which then go to local stores as a possible alternative to plastic.

“I started this tradition my first year of teaching, six years ago,” Poliziani said. “The pandemic stopped it, and so we’re finally bringing it back.”

Participating stores for 2022 are the Monroeville Giant Eagle, which donated 500 bags, and Pitcairn’s Wall Ave. Express, previously known as Jim & Lena’s. Customers have the choice of whether they want to use the more environmentally friendly sacks that have been decorated by the students.

“We’re bringing the lessons that we’ve been doing in the classroom and applying them to the world around us,” Poliziani said.

Along with her students, youngsters in 11 other Steward classrooms are participating this year in the paper-bag project

“They’re excited to see them in the stores,” Gabby Palenchak, who also teaches kindergarten, said. “We learned about ways at home and at school that we can help our environment. We learned about turning off the lights, turning off the water, throwing away our trash and recycling.”

Similarly, fourth-graders in Julie Mulkerin’s class are gaining insight to the importance of a clean environment, especially with regard to earth’s residents who don’t happen to be human.

“I like to warn people not to litter,” Maggie Chusko said, adding a bit of a chide: “You can actually throw stuff in the trash so you don’t hurt animals and their habitats.”

Fellow fourth-grader Mika Niyonkuru has firsthand experience in that regard.

“One time, I actually saw a bird that had a plastic bag sticking to its wing, so it couldn’t fly,” he said. “I called my parents, and they took it to the vet.”

His favorite animal is the elephant, and classmate Gabbi Plassmeyer likes turtles. She knows what can happen when, say, a discarded plastic six-pack holder ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It gets stuck around their neck and their flippers,” she said, “and it could suffocate them.”

For Eli Wright, one particular message has become clear:

“You shouldn’t throw trash out your window.”

And for Sydney Knight, each April 22 is sure to be a special day going forward.

“I like when people help the earth,” she said, “because it makes the world a better place.”