With puffy coats and gloves- teachers,staff, parents and students of Minot Forest Elementary School planted items and swept up leaves despite the utterly cold weather on Saturday, Nov. 9. This was an effort to clean up the entryway of the school.

“We have 150 muscaris around the flag pole with tulips in between,” parent Maritta Milne said. “Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart all made great donations.”

Janet Leonardo, president of the parent-teachers association, organized the cleanup and planting. Starting at 9 a.m., parents, staff and children seeded the school’s entry way and surrounding playground area.

This cleanup is part of a competition hosted by the Wareham School District’s office of Beyond School Time. The friendly competition will challenge schools to have the best entryway improvements.

“Teachers got an email asking how they could beautify the school,” Janet Leonardo, president of the parent-teachers association said. Leonardo was soon asked to coordinate the event.

“The principal came to us, so we came up with ‘Making Minot Magical,’” Leonardo explained. “We’re making Minot beautiful with flowers and plants.”

Originally, the plan was to give the playground a fresh coat of paint. However, with temperatures well below 40 degrees, that task will be put on hold until warmer temperatures return.

“We had a few warm days this week, but we couldn’t tell the kids, ‘sorry kids, we can’t go outside today because of wet paint,’” Principal Joan Seamans said.

The lobby has also received a light green paint over the old wood paneling. More improvements are planned.

“We are going to repaint the inner triangle with the trees and sign,” Seamans said.