CALEB NICKERSON
Quyon
May 19, 2019
Students as Sainte-Marie’s School in Quyon will get some hands on gardening experience in the coming months, as three new planters were recently installed on the front lawn.
This project is the brainchild of second grade teacher Oulaylack Vongsavath, who has been teaching at the school for 10 years. She got the idea from another school that had lots of gardens for students to grow their own vegetables.
Vongsavath began working to implement the project at Sainte-Marie’s several years ago and approached the Parents Association for help.
“This has been a long-time dream of hers,” said Parents Association member Meagan McCann, who helped organize support for the project. She said that students wrote letters to members of the community requesting their support so the materials and soil for the planter didn’t cost the school a thing. Local volunteers Shawn and Doug Schwartz installed the planters and Thomas Armstrong donated the topsoil.
McCann explained that a group of students would be in charge of each planter and would be learning about both the plants they’re growing as well as healthy eating habits. She expects seeds to be in the soil by early June.
Arrangements have already been made with neighbours to provide water in the summer, as the school doesn’t have an exterior tap. McCann said that a schedule is being set up for weeding and watering duty on weekends and over the holidays.
Vongsavath said that this is just a starting point, and hopes that the program will be popular enough to add more growing space.
