Portsmouth school plants tree to honor military families

Jim McGaw
Posted 4/29/16

PORTSMOUTH — Ninety of the 298 students at Melville Elementary School are from military families so unfortunately, the community usually doesn’t have a lot of time to get to know …

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Portsmouth school plants tree to honor military families

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Ninety of the 298 students at Melville Elementary School are from military families so unfortunately, the community usually doesn’t have a lot of time to get to know them.

“As quickly as our families come to us, they leave us,” Melville Principal Elizabeth Viveiros told students during a special outdoor assembly Friday afternoon.

So to remember them by, the school’s third-grade military students planted a tree during the Arbor Day ceremony. National Grid donated the Princeton American elm tree, and the Portsmouth Department of Public Works helped prepare it for planting.

Ms. Viveiros said the tree “is in honor of past, present and future military families” in Portsmouth and Melville students will be able to play near and around it for years.

Town Council Vice President Jim Seveney, who read a proclamation to the Melville community on behalf of the town, said the tree “is a tribute to all the military families that have established roots in our town.” He urged all citizens to plant trees for the future.

Leslie Costa, a member of the Portsmouth Tree Commission and a Melville mom, agreed. “A lot of our trees are slowing dying,” she said.

John Fitzgerald, the town’s tree warden, told children that the town will be planting 20 more trees next fall.

Before they grabbed shovels and threw dirt around the new tree, the school’s 13 third-grade military students each took the microphone and mentioned all the different places they’ve visited during their family travels: California, Hawaii, Italy — even the White House. 

And, they told everyone how proud they were of their mom or dad who was currently serving in the military.

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