On June 13th, Jones Elementary was chosen by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr., to hold a press conference unveiling Oneida County’s official county mammal, fish, and reptile!
Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 gathered in the gym to hear the exciting news. Students from across the county were invited to vote on the selections and over 1,100 votes poured in during the selection process. The County Executive thanked collaborators from Cornell Cooperative Extension for their hard work and efforts in making the initiative possible; as he unveiled the Red Fox as the county mammal, the Painted Turtle as the county reptile and Pumpkinseed Sunfish as the county fish. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Executive Director MaryBeth McEwan educated students on each species. Students were invited to commemorate the unveiling by taking home a notebook and bookmark with the species displayed on the cover.
Thank you Oneida County Executive Picente and Cornell Cooperative Extension for spending time with our students at Jones!
Check out our gallery of some favorite moments from the press conference!
