10th and Penn Elementary joins Reading cleanup at City Park

Students, staff and parents of a Reading elementary school joined the city’s Public Works Department for a morning cleanup last week in City Park.

Betsy Lutchkus Roxburgh, a third grade teacher at the 10th and Penn school, coordinated the event with Ryan Bradley, Reading’s Clean City coordinator.

“This is our fourth year where we have an in-service day where our entire school comes to City Park to contribute to our community,” Lutchkus Roxburgh said. “We’re so grateful to partner with the city of Reading to be able to have this opportunity.”

The annual cleanup has become an important tradition for the students, she said, and is a way of bringing the school community, city officials and local organizations together to help beautify the park while teaching students the importance of community involvement.

“We think it’s very important for our students to learn that the more they invest in their community, the better our community will be,” Lutchkus Roxburgh said.

Bradley said the students also had an opportunity to see some of the trucks and equipment public works employees use each day.

Support for the effort was provided by the Berks Community Action Program’s Work Ready Program, BCAP Director Stephan Fains and District Judge Kyley Scott-Pegram.

Bradley thanked the volunteers and city workers who participated in the event.

“Thank you all for making sure that the students were safe while cleaning up the park,” Bradley said. “To our Clean City team, thank you for all you do.”