The idea came about after a teacher noticed bits of litter collecting in the outdoor picnic area. When a few fifth-grade students learned of this, they acted.
“We did this because the kids would throw trash everywhere,” Fifth-grader Morgan Nie said. “So, we made a sign that says ‘Be Kind to your Neighbors’ and had animals on it because animals are our friends and there is a lot of litter and that could hurt them.”
“At the pond, there was trash everywhere, and where the turtles lived, there were milk cartons,” Isaac Ramos Rodriguez said. “We cleaned up all the trash and made sure there was a safe environment they can live in.”
Students collaborated with K-8 English Teacher Graham Helsabeck and Special Education Teacher Nikki Scheidecker to plant the garden as a way to teach the values of caring for nature and protecting the environment.
The teachers said Multilingual Learners and Adaptive Learning Students were integral to the success of the project.
“They were tasked with selecting a particular plant, then they researched their plant,” Helsabeck said. “They had to determine the scientific name, soil, water, and sunlight requirements, signs of disease, and generally how to care for their plant. They tracked its growth while also assisting their classmates to diagnose the health of other plants so that they all grew together in harmony.”
Students planted most of the plants in the garden themselves. They also consistently pulled weeds to prevent competition from unwanted plants and routinely requested access to the garden to monitor the health of their plants.
More than 40 types of plants, from Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelon and Atlantic Giant Pumpkins to Habanero Peppers, Crimson Romain Lettuce, and Mangel Beets, were planted in the garden. Fortunately, many hands make light work: nearly 50 students have been actively tending to the garden.
“I think the students were most excited about the watermelon plants and the pumpkin plant, as they produce very large fruits,” Scheidecker said. “Unfortunately, these plants take longer to come to fruition, and the plants themselves are still quite small. They are separated from the main garden area because they take up a large amount of space.”
Students involved in the project reported feeling proud of the good work they did to grow things at school. They are looking forward to stopping by the school to see growth over the summer.
“We felt happy because all of the plants are doing good and they are growing,” Fifth-grader Alina Martinez-Garnica said. “It made me feel happy. It made me feel like a leader at the school and it’s fun to see your plants grow.”
Great work caring for the environment, Gate City!
About Gate City Charter Academy
Gate City Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Greensboro, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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