During the first week of spring, twelfth-grade English as a New Language (ENL) students from Amsterdam High School participated in New York’s Agricultural Literacy Week, a statewide initiative through Cornell University.
Amsterdam High School student volunteers—Jose Castillo De Los Santos, Sayuriee Collazo Rodriguez, Danilsa Gonzalez Javier, Taino Montero Cruz, Juliana Ortiz Mateo, Yoselyn Rivas Depaz, Juan Rivas Zabala, and Kelvin Rodriguez Santana—visited all district second-grade classrooms to read The Pie That Molly Grew by New York author Sue Heavenrich. This year’s theme, “Planting Molly’s Pumpkins,” highlighted New York’s pumpkin production and the seed-to-table process.
Following the reading, volunteers led an interactive activity where second-grade students planted their own pumpkin seeds and sampled raw and roasted pumpkin seeds. Each school received a copy of the book for its library.
New York’s Agricultural Literacy Week aims to increase awareness of the state’s agricultural industry by engaging students and educators in hands-on learning experiences.
