Fifth graders at Wenonah Elementary School in the Sachem Central School District are helping fight food insecurity in their own community. Fifth graders, along with members of the school’s garden club, have been harvesting fresh food to donate to local food pantries. It’s part of a project led by fifth grade teachers Jamie D’Andrea and Deena Kay, that cycles through Wenonah students each year.
Students begin planting the seeds indoors while it’s still cold outside. Each spring, fifth graders clean out Wenonah’s garden and bring the seeds outdoors. Come summertime and into early fall, fresh produce is ready to be harvested by the next fifth grade class.
Not only is Wenonah’s Giving Garden benefitting the community, but it is also an opportunity for students to get their hands dirty and participate in exploratory learning. The garden has provided students with an outlet to connect with each other and the greater community, while embodying the Culture of Care that exists throughout Sachem.
Photo captions:
1 – Fifth graders at Wenonah Elementary School proudly take care of the building’s Giving Garden.
2 and 3 – Students picked fresh tomatoes during the last harvest of the fall.
4 – Students weighed how much produce they gathered during a harvest to donate to a local food pantry.
Photos courtesy of the Sachem Central School District
Leave a Reply