Webster Hill Elementary School Releases Butterflies

The Webster Hill Elementary School held its annual butterfly release Thursday, when students from pre-k to fifth grade release the butterflies they’ve cared for over long months.

Despite the care, the outcome varies. One year mice got into the area where the butterflies were growing and only a small number survived. Other years have yielded hundreds of butterflies.

This year, according to Julie Stagis of the Hartford Courant, just four butterflies were released this year in a ceremony Wednesday.

The number of small number of butterflies was immaterial, rather it pointed the students to the value of each life, as in the Star Thrower, a story of a boy who proclaims he has made a difference by saving the life of a starfish, though there are thousands on the beach.

Similarly, though the number of butterflies was small, students got to witness their lifecycle and celebrate those that were released Wednesday.

Read a detailed explanation of how the Webster Hill community raises the butterflies here.

Read more of the Courant’s account here.