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South Saint Paul board swears in student reps and highlights Kaposia tree‑planting with TreeTrust
Summary
At its Sept. 22 meeting the South Saint Paul School Board swore in new student liaisons and heard a Quality in Action presentation about a Kaposia tree‑planting day led by TreeTrust and community volunteers, who described hands‑on student learning and roughly two dozen trees planted.
Chair Heumann opened the Sept. 22 South Saint Paul School Board meeting by administering the oath of office to the district’s new student school board representatives and inviting them to serve as liaisons between students and the board. Several student reps introduced themselves and described their priorities for the school year, including activities tied to homecoming and student leadership.
The board then heard a Quality in Action presentation from Kaposia staff and community partners about a recent TreeTrust-supported tree‑planting day at Kaposia Education Center. Principal Terry introduced a team that included classroom teachers and TreeTrust representatives Rachel Schindler and Karen Zumach and described the project as a coordinated effort that combined volunteer training, classroom lessons and an on-site planting day.
Presenters said students in every classroom participated in planting and naming trees, that volunteers were trained to teach planting and care, and that the project emphasized the environmental and social benefits of trees in an urban school setting. TreeTrust noted the program is funded largely by private donations and supported by local nurseries; staff listed Bachman’s, Wilson’s and Bailey’s among the growers used to source stock.
During the presentation, several students and parent volunteers described the experience as “fun” and educational; one student said planting would let them “come back as adults and see the big trees that they planted years ago.” Board members praised the project as a way to build community and create lasting learning opportunities.
The presentation included a short video and photographs of students working with volunteers and staff. Board members asked questions about sourcing and counts; district staff gave estimates of “just short of 30” trees and at one point mentioned 26 trees—presenters acknowledged the numbers were approximate and emphasized that trees were placed around the playground and school grounds to add shade and long‑term environmental value.
The board thanked TreeTrust, the Kaposia team and volunteers for the project and encouraged families and community members to look for the planted trees around the site in coming months and years.
