Visitor from Bury, England

(This posting was provided by Dr. Adams, Principal of the Walnut Street School.)

The work on the Strategic Plan brought about a newly developed district mission statement with an added emphasis on students working in concert with the larger, global community. Some Walnut Street School students have put this goal into action by making a connection with their counterparts in Bury, England.

For the past year and a half, the Walnut Street Elementary School fourth and fifth grade students have had an ongoing “pen pal” program with a group of transatlantic friends across the pond. This email based exchange program is with a group of students at St. Bernadette’s Elementary School in Bury, England. The significance of this relationship is that the City of Woodbury was founded by Henry Wood, a Quaker from Bury, England, in 1682. His surname and his home town combine to make up the name of the city he founded – Woodbury, NJ.

On a recent school day, a resident of Bury, England, Melvin Magnall, visited the students of Walnut Street School. He shared with the Woodbury students projects, posters, and other artifacts developed by the students from Bury. He also explained to our students the history of a holiday celebrated in England on November 5th called Bonfire Day. The students in Woodbury then shared artifacts they had developed and gathered representing our November holiday, Thanksgiving.

Over the past year this project has enabled students from both sides of the Atlantic to learn about similarities and differences between our two countries and cultures. It has also taught our students the local history of the City of Woodbury.