Last week, students at Madison, with the help from parents, residential neighbors and Avanti High School, the alternative high school next door, converted a plot of muddy lawn into the Madison-Avanti Community Garden, which features raised flower or vegetable beds – enough for at least one per grade – and a seating area for classrooms.
“We might be able to incorporate the outdoors as part of our science curriculum,” first-grade teacher Susan Stillwell said. “Our science curriculum in first grade includes new plants and learning how plants grow from seed.”
She was excited about the possibility of demonstrating to students what the seed germination process looks like in a lab and how that compares to watching a vegetable grow.
Stillwell also mentioned possibilities of lessons on local ecology and how food is supplied.
“Who knows what it will turn into,” she said.
Katie Stoll, garden coordinator and a parent of a student at Madison, said the idea of the garden came from a community meeting at Avanti High School in the fall. Since then, the garden has attracted donations and volunteers from parents, high school students and neighbors, including members of First United Methodist Church who donated materials and volunteered their time.
A landscape architect also designed the space for free, and Avanti students gave up their adventure day last week to help build the garden beds. Local gardening organization Garden-Raised Bounty also assisted.
“It is not just for Madison students and teachers, but for Avanti students and teachers to use,” Stoll said. “We are trying to incorporate the community, and we have a lot people so far who don’t have children at either school – they just want to help out with the garden.”
First-grader Louisa Sevier, 6, said she hopes to grow carrots and poppies at school, and she was happy to join her family in a volunteer work day one recent Saturday.
“We really like gardening, and we really like getting into the dirt,” Louisa said of her family.
Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445
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