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Student reflections on Garden for the Good

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:34:31 GMT

Garden for The Good is a service learning project in the Lower School which teaches lessons in environmental stewardship, nutrition and art. The harvest from the garden is dedicated to a fundraising effort for local food bansk. Fourth grade science teacher Pat Seta asked her science class of 2009-10 to reflect on what they learned from their involvement with Garden for the Good. Here is what some of them had to say:
• “Gardening encourages social activity, teamwork, and learning from each other.”
• “The food from the garden is fresher and has more nutrients. We are eating healthier food and are wasting less in the cafeteria when we eat the food we have grown.”
• “Since we are using food from the garden in the cafeteria we are helping the school save money so they have more money in the budget.”
• “The garden is unifying the school and bringing people together.”
• “When you grow your own food you are conserving important natural resources like fossil fuels.”
• “The garden is encouraging people to try something new. We have tried new vegetables, like kale and turnips, and a lot of us are growing gardens at home for the first time.”
• “By growing food in the garden we are not wasting bags and boxes which are made from natural resources like petroleum and trees.”

Large Flower Paintings

Sun, 02 May 2010 15:07:53 GMT

From the Upper School, the Garden for the Good is very visible. Staff, faculty and students are able to witness, from a distance, the growth that is taking place within the raised beds. To assist in the enhancement of this outdoor garden area, students from the Upper School Portfolio class were asked to create large flower paintings that were drawn out on wood, scrolled sawed and then painted. The students had a good time adding to the aesthetics of the garden area.

The Boxes are in Place

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:33:29 GMT

On last Saturday the raised beds were put into place upon the garden patio space. Each of the wooden boxes have a skid under them to allow them to be easily moved to accomodate changing sun needs. On Thursday, March 11th Zone 6 Landscaping, owned by Mr.George Schaefer, a Summit parent, will be delivering the composte, peat moss and vermiculite. Weather permitting, our intentions are to mix and fill each of the ten beds.

Garden for the Good - A Science, Art and Service Cross-Curricular Project

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:13:11 GMT

The Garden for the Good has grown out of two teachers talking. Ms. Pat Seta, Lower School Science Teacher, and Mrs. Jan Wiesner, Lower School Art Teacher, hatched the idea one day when discussing how they could develop a project that could be a garden for science and a sculpture garden for art. Mr. Mark Wiesner, Upper School Art Teacher has joined the group and will have his students also creating garden themed art work to enhance the garden's aesthetics. The project has benefited greatly from the help and knowledge of Mrs. Jane Burke, a former Summit parent and avid gardener and her son Evan. They have been the angels who have promised to be with us as we launch this project.

Every effort has been made to seek funding for this project. So far Duke Energy has granted the project $1000.00 and another grant came in from Aero Grow Inc. which has provided seeds and seed starting pots. We are grateful for the financial support from these companies.

With the concept of the garden there was the desire to have the garden function as a service project. With that in mind we have asked a chef to work with the students to help them prepare meals from the harvest and an evening meal will be offered to the families for a small cost. All the money raised will go to the Free Store Food Bank. Such food banks often need money rather than fresh porduce that has to be stored. There are also plans for an evening 'opening' in the garden to showcase the student's sculptures and outdoor paintings.

It all began . . . on a rather chilly early February Saturday morning the wood from Forge Lumber Company (generously donated by Mr. Eric Steinman) was sawed and assembled into ten 4'x4' raised garden beds with the help of Mr. Andrew Ritch and Mr. Mike Bergeron.

. . . and then it snowed and snowed . . . and snowed. So the work that began was indoors, Ms. Seta with the help and Jane and Evan Burke had the Lower School Science classes planting starter seeds. Another early part of the garden has been the worm composting bins that are busy producing soil in Ms. Seta's classroom.

This blog will be used to keep you up to date on the garden and what is growing. It will allow members of the school community to post their involvement with the work of tending the garden. It will also be the site where photos of the garden can be seen.