Teaching students about the environment is important to former school teacher Jack Branagan. He recently stopped by Jefferson School to conduct a science assembly titled “It’s All in a Drop.”

The presentation offered an in-depth look and the water cycle and water contamination throughout the world. Branagan’s demonstration, which also dealt with the problems society faces as a result of pollution, was a continuation of the students’ study of the earth and nature.

While some of Branagan’s talk offered information that was new to the youngsters, a good deal of it was a reinforcement of things they’d learned in other programs. One of the programs, the Outdoor Classroom Initiative, was made possible because of funds the school received from the New Jersey American Water Company grant. The grant is part of NJAW’s Environmental Grant Program, which funds community-based programs that protect or improve water projects.

Last year, a number of parent volunteers worked alongside Jefferson Principal Susan Grierson to build a calming outdoor space that ended up being used as educational tool for ecology, science, writing and art. This year, fifth graders took a field trip to an NJAW treatment plant where they viewed the process of how clean water is brought into their homes. To connect the dots, Branagan asked students if they use water when they wake up in the morning and on a daily basis. They all said yes and re-affirmed to him how important learning about water and the systems used to keep it clean is essential to their daily lives.