Evergreen Principal's Corner

There are over ninety species of oaks in North America alone. As ecological powerhouses, oaks provide for nearly 1,000 species of caterpillars, feed birds and mammals with acorns, help sequester carbon, and filter rainwater. To quote Doug Tallamy, author of The Nature of Oaks*, “a yard without oaks is a yard meeting only a fraction of its life-support potential.” 

So, too, does a school without “oaks” meet only a fraction of its life-support potential. In exploring our theme verse of the year, we’re reminded that our Evergreen student body represents a diverse group of children. Like the ninety plus species of oaks, we look and grow differently from one another and yet we all provide essential life-support to the world around us. 

In the first couple weeks of school, I’ve witnessed some incredible life-support moments. Our students are well on their way in their growth as oaks of righteousness. One instance in particular stands out to me: as I donned my orange recess-duty vest, a Team 2er approached me and said, “Mr. S, If you hear of anyone from any Team needing a friend to play with, just find me and I’ll play with them!”

Join me in regularly praying over our forest of students as they continue to grow as a diverse group of children seeking to “display His splendor”. 

*This was summer read of mine a couple months ago — I highly recommend it! 

Full title: The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees