Flower Children; Tradition Plants Seed of Pride.

By Patriot Ledger staff

Patriot Ledger staff

Students at the Devine Early Learning Center in Randolph showed their school spirit, participating in a walkathon to raise money for the school’s parent-teacher group, then planting flowers outside the building

The students planted nearly 700 daffodil bulbs in newly dug beds in front of the school.

“Next spring, we should have quite a group in here,” said Principal Mildred Rent.

The annual planting and walkathon are traditions carried over from the Tower Hill School, which had housed preschool and kindergarten classes until earlier this year.

Rent said the planting helps build pride in the school, and gives students something to show off after they’ve moved on to elementary school.

“It’s still going to be their daffodil in the spring and in years to come,” she said.

During Monday’s walkathon, each class made six trips around a course in the school’s play area.

The students wore crowns and each class carried a coat of arms in keeping with the “Literacy Is King” theme of the school’s book fair later this month.

Wells Landscaping prepared the site for the flower bed, and members of the school system’s custodial staff helped out with the planting.

“Wait until the spring,” said teacher Stacey Kaplan.