
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 22, 1994                   TAG: 9404220189
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4 VIRGINIA   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TODAY'S THE BIG DAY!

Today is Earth Day, a day set aside to raise awareness of the environment and the importance of keeping the planet healthy. It's the busiest day of the year for Fishburn Park Elementary pupils. Environmental education is the underlying theme of its interdisciplinary teaching, and the pupils have planned for this day all year.

"This is the biggest day for us in a different way," said Principal Tom Dunleavy. "[Today] some kid might make a life decision and say, 'Hey, I want to get into aviation' or 'Hey, I want to know more about this.' Or he may not like it at all. But it will certainly be an exciting day."

This year the pupils are studying "air," and the day will be complete with more than 15 stations, including a Life-Guard 10 helicopter, hot-air balloon, glider, hang glider and flight simulator.

A parachutist will land in the morning. The grand finale will take place at 1:45 p.m., when artist-in-residence Mimi Harris will unveil the almost-completed "Kid Tree Sculpture." The year-long project includes papier-mache masks of each child, which will be used as bark for the tree.

by CNB