Ridgeview Charter School Plants Sakura Trees

Last month, on Volunteers for a Better Sandy Springs Day, an outreach initiative of Leadership Sandy Springs, students, faculty, PTA and Foundation officers, beautified school grounds and planted two young cherry blossom trees given by the Consul-General of Japan in Atlanta.

In February, the trees were delivered to RCS in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the gift of cherry trees from the government of Japan to the United States. The original Sakura trees were planted in 1912 in the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River in Washington D.C. and represent the warm relationship between Japan and the United States for the past century.

Led by Ridgeview’s Speech Language Pathologist Anita Hall, the VBSS and Earth Day team spent several hours weeding, tree planting, general clean-up and the ceremonial planting of the Sakura trees. The project served as an extension of Ms. Hall’s food garden project that integrates gardening principles with language-based academic skills across the curriculum and grade levels.

RCS Japanese Teacher Tomomi Davis says the trees will be "a permanent symbol of the friendship and goodwill between Japan and RCS like the trees in Washington D.C. The trees that we received will grow and flourish along with the Japanese program here at RCS!"

Ridgeview’s Japanese program is part of the Middle Years Programme, the middle school prerequisite coursework that prepares students for the International Baccalaureate diploma program, which they can receive at Riverwood International Charter School.

www.ridgeviewcharterschool.org 404.843.7710