Bronxville Students Learn Gardening Skills

Bronxville elementary, middle and high school students have green thumbs this spring. The students took part in building and then planting in their new school garden.

Elementary School Science Teacher Tim Curran and Middle School Principal Tom Wilson spearheaded the project. The two were awarded $5,000 by the Bronxville School foundation to develop build their plant teaching garden.

The project started last month when middle and high school students built the garden's wood frame. The students drilled holes, inserted bolts and secured the frame of the garden, which is on the Meadow Avenue side of the school. Then, elementary school students got the garden ready for planting by shoveling dirt into the frame. Students learned about fertilizer and worm castings, which are undigested material, soil and bacteria deposited by worms. One kindergartner remarked, "It's not called worm poo, it's called castings."

Elementary school students then started planting a number of vegetables, including lettuce, squash tomatoes, as well as herbs. Special educations students are set to continue to care for the garden over the summer. They will also get to enjoy the fruits of their labor come harvest time.

“We look forward to expanding the garden in future years in ways that provide further teaching opportunities,” said Elementary School Science Teacher Tim Curran. “For example, next year we plan to germinate our own seeds in the science classrooms to use in the garden.”