Rain came down hard Tuesday night so we were not sure about harvesting greens Wednesday morning. 

We all gathered in the garden to harvest the lovely lettuces, spinach, and numerous greens the students had grown.

 

Many of the students here and their parents are familiar with growing food crops in their native countries. They often provide seeds and growing tips in the garden. Angel Katona and Victoria Sadeq head up the garden activities here. The whole school community is involved in the garden, including interpreters of Burmese, Nepali, Vietnamese, Spanish, and more.

 

Angel Katona tells me that the garden is a place of peace and solace for young people who are recovering from stressful experiences in the places they have left. We all harvested the greens and then washed up and prepared plates of salad topped with our choice of dressing. It was great to see the students sit in a big circle and smile and laugh and enjoy themselves.

 

 

 

 The purpose of the school is to prepare all Newcomers for successful transition into American schools, culture, and beyond through challenging academics and language learning by honoring all cultures and heritages, and introducing students to a new cultural environment. The school garden is playing an important role in transitioning these special new students into our community.

 

 

Smith High School on Cutting Edge of Garden-Based Learning

 

Garden-based learning has come to Smith High School in a big way! The science team of biology, chemistry, and environmental teachers at the school have come together to construct an International Research Outdoor Learning Center. This is a collaborative project between Smith High School and their STEM Global Club as well as the Scholar's Latino Initiative (SLI) at NC A&T University. SLI coordinator Mr. Diaz facilitates college students mentoring high school students in order to help them achieve their plans to attend college.

 

Guilford County Cooperative Extension School Garden Network Coordinator Cynthia Nielsen has been working closely with Smith IB students and Chemistry teacher Aebeyo Abraha, to construct the research garden. "I am really impressed at the level of cooperative effort these students displayed in constructing and planting the garden." Kelly Misiak of the Giving Seed nonprofit also works with the team, providing a cold frame used by the biology teachers and their students.

 

Soil and nutrient testing, plant growth studies, and environmental impacts will all be researched using experimental designs developed by students. A hydrology team representing Dr. Reyes from Biological Engineering at NC A&T will work with the Smith team to set up a water system for the school's garden.

 

While there are quite a few elementary school gardens and a handful of middle schools with gardens in Guilford County, Smith High School is on the cutting edge of research-based gardening in a High School setting. We are proud of their efforts and all of the connections they have formed within our community. Look forward to hearing about them in the future!

3 photos

 

Sumner Goes to the White House

Five students, two third grade teachers and Thyais Maxwell, Principal at Sumner Elementary, attended the planting of the White House Kitchen Garden with First Lady Michelle Obama on March 26th. Sumner was one of only four schools nationwide invited to participate in these activities at the White house.

 

After reading First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew as part of a One Book, One School literacy initiative, Sumner students wrote to Mrs. Obama to tell her about their plans for a school garden and to ask her advice on what kinds of fruits and vegetables to plant. Cynthia Nielsen, Guilford County Cooperative Extension School Garden Network Coordinator, and Kelly Misiak of The Giving Seed facilitated interactive gardening presentations with the K-2 and 3-5 students as part of the One Book, One School First Garden Activities in November.

 

Cynthia Nielsen is working closely with Katrina Peace Perry, Sumner's Curriculum Facilitator and third grade teachers to create their vegetable garden this spring. The school received a grant from Hilltop Nursery for its garden. Teacher-developed lesson plans for the project have integrated literacy, mathematics, science, and healthy living into classroom activities and instruction since November. We are all so inspired by Sumner being chosen to participate in planting the White House garden with the First Lady! We are truly part of the bigger picture of healthy living through gardening happening nationwide.

 

 

Here's one highlight from last week's GCS school garden tours 

The News & Record highlights Peck Elementary's garden.

Watch the video.

 

School Garden Grant

Apply here. The deadline is June 30th 2012.

 

 

*For more information on all things school garden contact  Cynthia Nielsen ,

 School Garden Network Coordinator.