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Aug 16, 2012
Our school garden is sprouting more than just veggies!
West End IB World School  2011 "I Can Grow" Youth Garden Award Winner

West End Middle School School Garden

Thanks to Burpee Home Gardens and the “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award, West End IB World School students, teachers and parents had another successful gardening season!

This past April, students planted a variety of tomatoes, eggplant, okra, green beans, zucchini, watermelon, basil, parsley and peppers, and were diligent about watering and caring for their newly planted garden. Although the summer was hot, our new garden continued to thrive thanks to the families and teachers who volunteered to tend to the garden while school was out.

West End Middle School raised beds are thrivingSince our students returned on August 1, they’ve enjoyed exploring the garden to see what veggies and herbs are growing, discovering which bugs have taken up residence in the raised beds and sampling fresh produce. For many of our students, tasting a vine-ripened tomato or a basil leaf has been a first-time experience. It’s fun to hear their comments and, more often than not, the students like what they taste and are eager to share the news with their families. We even had pesto for sale at our Back to School orientation made with school-grown basil. This was an excellent way to introduce the garden to new and returning families and raise money as well!

Do we consider the garden an asset to our school? Absolutely! The garden has been a positive feature that has impressed many families. It’s exciting to see teachers and students milling around in the garden measuring and observing insects, learning about healthy food groups, making healthy food choices and working together to prepare recipes. The garden is an invaluable educational tool for our teachers that spans all subject matter and can be tied into the state’s curriculum standards.

This year, our goal is to encourage teachers to adopt the garden as their outdoor classroom. The garden is, after all, the perfect classroom for every subject. In the garden, our students connect with their natural world in a stress-free environment where they can wonder, inquire, explore, communicate, think and reflect. There is a lot growing in our school garden!

Volunteers maintain the gardens and keep them thriving for students over break

West End Middle School raised beds are full of veggies and learning opportunities

Reader Comments (3)
My favorite part of the garden is how the vegetables can be hand picked. Then you can eat it all! Like the other day we made salsa and ate it. It was so Good !
Thursday, August 16, 2012 | Suzi D.
My favorite part about the garden is that you can make salsa and you can pick veggies and eat them. it is so good Mr. O said we can pick the corn and we hand picked it.
Thursday, August 16, 2012 | Mikayah C.
What I like to do is eat the food from the garden like one day Mr. Olmstead said “take some basil and some tomatoes and put it together and eat it." So the class ate it from our garden. Can you people help us make a apple, orange, and peach tree? I like your company.
Thursday, August 16, 2012 | Javontae J.
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