On June 5, Grass Valley Elementary School is hosting Green Day - a day of environmental education for all ages. The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of our new school garden. The school is located at located at 4720 Dunkirk Ave.

The theme of the day is “Environmental Education, Creation and Inspiration.” The event will offer environmentally-centered activities, workshops, music and crafts geared to accommodate all ages.

The events kick-off is at 9:30 a.m. with a Compostable Waffle Breakfast hosted by the Grass Valley’s Dad’s Club. A $5 donation per person is suggested for breakfast. The School Garden Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in the garden.

The Grass Valley Dad’s Club built planter boxes for the new garden last fall in an effort to increase education opportunities about healthy eating and environmental awareness. Grass Valley students were encouraged to participate in the building of the planter boxes and in the planting and harvesting of produce from the garden. Student-grown vegetables will be available for purchase at the Green Day event.

The concept for Green Day originated with one of Grass Valley’s teachers, Ilyse Opas, out of her participation in Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program.

“The goal of this project is to create community, empowerment and education centered around caring for our planet and for each other,” says Opas. “It embodies an expression we use in the classroom every day: ‘What you do makes a difference!’”

For more information about Grass Valley's Green Day, contact teachers Ilyse Opas or at (510) 879-1220, or Dad’s Club President Jerry McDowell at (510) 332-1547.