MOUNT VERNON – Small radishes and lettuce leaves generated big smiles recently as elementary students at the Knox Learning Center harvested them from raised garden beds in a corner of the playground.
The day marked the conclusion of gardening study in the grades K-3 and 4-5 classrooms where students earlier had planted seeds to germinate along window sills and in portable garden towers in their rooms before moving the small plants to the soil outdoors.
Erin Salva, a retired Kenyon College administrator and coordinator of the Arch Park Community Garden in Mount Vernon, assisted with the classroom gardening projects throughout the year. She was on hand to help the younger students collect their radishes and lettuce leaves.
Latter, fourth- and fifth-graders spread mulch around the raspberry canes they had planted a few weeks ago.
“Students from Carolyn O’Brien’s class (4-5) and Alissa Hinkens class (K-3) planted peas, radishes, kale, spinach, broccoli, lettuce and flowers,” Salva said, adding that older students in the Transition U life skills program planted lettuces, broccoli and flowers.
The raised garden beds were constructed by middle school teacher Mackenzie Arnold, her father and a middle school student.
Gardening also continued in the classrooms.
“Students have done some container planting of potatoes, everbearing strawberries, mint and lemon balm,” Salva said. “We will be making tea with our mint and lemon balm and plan to have a tea party before school is out.”
Salva and O’Brien will tend the outdoor garden beds during the summer.
The Knox Learning Center, located in the former Mount Vernon West Elementary, is a K-12 alternative school for children who have difficulty succeeding in a traditional school environment.
It is operated by the Knox Educational Service Center.
ESC Superintendent Dr. Timm Mackley said the gardening projects have been an important supplement to classroom study.
“Planting seeds in their classrooms, watching them germinate then tending to the young plants has given students a hands-on learning experience that is fun,” Mackley said. “We appreciate Erin Salva’s skillful assistance to our students and teachers.”