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

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:28:38 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.

Dont waste your time on expensive vitamins

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:51:25 GMT

Just last night at the gym, they had a fitness fair. It was mostly expensive vitamin vendors trying to get people to try their free samples. It was quite easy to see the only people lined up at these tables were the unhealthy people. There is no substitute for eating nutritious food, no magic pill thats going to work wonders for you. If you want to be healthy, then EAT HEALTHY.

The best thing about heading South is the PIE!

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:50:41 GMT

Pie is good. I like it a lot and I know there's no better place on the planet to get the best chicken pie than down south. My grandma used to make chicken pie when I was a lad growing up and she always told me about her momma, who was from Louisiana mind you, and how she made the best chciken pie in town. She had the awards to show for it too. It might sound quaint, but I'm here to declare that the making of chicken pie is not easy. You have to have your heart in it. A lot of heart. After all, chicken pie that is to warm the heart must come from the heart... or, there at least needs to be some obvious heart in it.

We all know pie is good. I like it a lot and I know there's no better place on the planet to get the best chicken pie than down south. My grandma used to make chicken pie when I was a lad growing up and she always told me about her momma, who was from Louisiana mind you, and how she made the best chciken pie in town. She had the awards to show for it too. It might sound quaint, but I'm here to declare that the making of chicken pie is not easy. You have to have your heart in it. A lot of heart. After all, chicken pie that is to warm the heart must come from the heart... or, there at least needs to be some obvious heart in it.

The sound of my little girl laughing...

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:50:19 GMT

...makes me happy just to be alive. While those words come from a great song by Everclear, they resonate so loud to me. If there's one thing that we all must keep focus on during the trying times, it's love for our friends and family. When all is said and done, what else is there really?

We live in the best country in the whole world and there's no place on earth that I'd rather bring my children in to. That's why we must take care of our world and help guide our leadership to make better decisions so that our children can look forward to a brighter future.

Sharing Test

Wed, 04 May 2011 14:48:45 GMT

This is a test blog entry to test sharing.