Students and parents dig in to improve garden

    Last spring, students at Clear Creek Elementary school launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to collect as much change and as many dollars as they could to enhance outdoor playgrounds, classroom and garden areas at the school. Through the “Change for Change…It Makes Sense to Grow our Children!”

campaign, kindergarten through fifth grade students raised nearly $1,700 in just three weeks time.  Recently, parents and their children from Clear Creek volunteered their time to improve the garden in the center of the school by building six new raised beds, laid down new weed mat and wood chips, pruned bushes and shrubs, gathered native seeds and planted more than 400 bulbs, strawberries and perennial plants and mums.   The garden was completely spruced up for the upcoming parent back to school night to be held on Oct. 4.
    Parent volunteer Sarah Mooney and District Food Services Director Lora Jenson were on hand to lead the project and to cook up lunch for the volunteers. 
    “It is a truly rewarding experience to work with the kids and their parents to create such a beautiful and accessible place for kids to learn.  Healthy minds and bodies, and creating a relationship between kids and the earth is what this is all about,” said Mooney. 
    “The experience of learning about nutritious foods, where they come from and harvesting them has a lasting impact on children over their lifetime,” added Jenson.
    Mooney and Jenson have been working with other parent volunteers and with Becky Brandt, Clear Creek’s Art Teacher to create an expanded gardening program through which children can learn about gardening while expressing themselves through cooking and art.  The summer program in partnership with 4-H was a huge success and culminated with the improvements made over the weekend.  The after-school program focuses on gardening in cultures throughout the world.  Children are encouraged to use vegetables and spices from the garden to create new recipes found in other cultures. - Read More Via e-Edition