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The second grade class of Furnace Woods Elementary School held a salad party today to enjoy fresh lettuce out of their own garden. The second graders tripled the size of the organic garden with a $1,000 grant from the Hendrick Hudson Community Education Foundation.
We planted seeds, said second-grader Daniella Latras-Castrejon, as she joyously munched, and then they grew up and we picked them.
This is the second year the program, Grow and Go Green, has been in place, after taking a one year hiatus in 2010. The program has grown to three large plots outside of the schools windows, from just one plot in 2009. The grant writing efforts of Susan Traeger allowed the class to create a curriculum around gardening, including buying books, The Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin, tools and seeds.
Theyre more willing to try it now, said second grade teacher Heather Gillis about the vegetables, because they had a part in growing it. The parsley and sage grown by students were used in herb butter, and lettuce came from the class garden. The salad party was also supplemented by carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries and homemade vinaigrette brought by class moms. Some students even came back for seconds.
Students from Lorraine Giamettas class also participated in the project, as did two other second grade teachers, Pamela Stewart and Christine Cunane.
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