March+12,+2009

March 12, 2009 3:30p.m. Library

Those in attendance; Darlene Nall, Karen McIntyre, Carol Nestler, Candace Gutt, Martin Kennedy, Stephen Breese.

Tuesday morning at 10:00 Bring your shovels and gardening tools Plant to set up the two raised beds with the intent of having them ready for composting to begin the week after students return from Spring Break!

Martin suggested that we encourage and explore possibilities for student planting in the classroom -- some could be placed in the garden--with the rest going home to planted at home.

Darlene will see Marcus on Friday afternoon to get our marching orders for Tuesday and beyond.

We will learn if we got the grant we applied for on March 24th.

Karen reported that Julie Berbiglia said the "Earth Machines" were back ordered -- but expected to come the last week of March.

She also suggested that several of the ideas she heard at the workshop last week might be good to employ at Westmeade.
 * H.G. Hill's Dr. Cherry said that they ad found it effective to have fun Friday Garden activities. He bought 10 pair of garden gloves and when those were gone -- that was all the kids who could go into the garden. He stated that students had discipline cards which if they were not punched during hte week --- permitted them 45 minutes of FUN FRIDAY activities......
 * Making "stones" for the garden path -- this can be done in conjunction with ART -- using children's hand prints --- Candice suggested maybe even doing something mosiac -- making each stone small so that many children could participate!
 * She also described some of the innovative things she saw at Shelby Bottoms center --- the water collection system was quite interesting.
 * Students could bring in a bag of potting soil --- these sell for $1.29 at places like Lowes......