Newtown Planting The Seed!
Volume 14
Garden Club
We are in the process of starting the Garden Chef's club back up for the spring garden season. It is limited in size to keep better control of the COVID mitigation measures with the kids. Our intent is to have the club outdoors but we will be meeting in the Science Lab for inclement weather. The club will meet directly after school on Thursdays until 4:45.
Radishes Beyond Salads
I was talking with some friends about radishes and trying to see how people use radishes. Most just came up with sliced up on salads. Here is a link to many recipes for radishes. Many more ways to prepare radishes other than pretty pieces on a salad. Radishes have a fast germination period, only 3-4 days and they are mature within about 30 days so it is a quick and easy grower that you can plant regularly and have throughout the growing season.
Outdoor Learning Is Here
Many of you have heard, some of you have taken advantage of it. But our outdoor learning environment is here. There will be multiple places by the time it is all done. This picture is of the bus loop garden. There is a variety of seating options available and we have two tents and two umbrellas for shade. Much of the seating and shade is locked away in the shed. There is a calendar for sign up on the Newtown Sharepoint site. There are now four outdoor access points for better internet access for teacher and student devices. They are located in the Bus Loop, the courtyard, outside music and outside room 35.
Bench Seating for All
Bench seating that has been bought and assembled for our outdoor learning spaces. As you can see in the picture, the back of the seat folds up and locks in place to form a table top surface for working. Everyone must be careful when switching between the two arrangements so they don't lean on it too hard and hurt themselves. Locking pins will be added as an extra safety feature.
Making Work Easier
Newtown has been able to acquire a new tiller to speed up the process of working up the ground to prepare for planting. If you would like to learn more about the tiller and learn how to operate one you can contact Mr. Rickard.
Gardening By The Numbers
With the district's Scratch Cooking program, all beds must be numbered and when vegetables are picked and provided to the cafeteria staff, the number of the bed the vegetables must be documented. We still need some numbers painted if you want to find a way to support the garden project, are artistic in nature but don't like digging in the dirt. Please see Mr. Rickard if you would like to paint some number plaques.
Please Fence Me In
There is a new fence in our future here at Newtown. Mr. Rickard has found funding for all the materials to build a fence to fence in the learning garden. This should focus traffic in and out of the garden and provide additional planting locations for more veggies. The fence will also be painted and there are some math lessons that will be embedded in the fence as well.