The past week was an exciting one for Albany schools folks who see great learning opportunities in getting hands dirty. And it is a pleasure to know some of the people at a couple of the schools and have a chance to compare notes with them.
You may have read in the Times Union a couple of days ago about a wonderful vegetable garden project at Arbor Hill Elementary School that is led by Yusef Burgess. Among contributors to this undertaking is the Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, which is across the street from the school. Jon Rosen, a board member at the health center and Albany High parent who has been eager to have a role in a garden at the school for some time, captured the spirit of the work in the Times Union article, saying, “I always thought a school with arbor in its name should have a garden.”
Deb Rutnik, Eagle Point Elementary School teacher, reports that her kindergarten students have started seeds under grow lights that the Albany Fund for Education and the Vegetable Project teamed up to give teachers who attended a Project Learning Tree workshop on school gardens in March.
And students, teachers and other friends were out at three schools on Saturday getting ready for the coming season.
Susan Fowler, who has been leading the way at Delaware Community School for years, captures some of the day here .
Kudos to Albany High sophomore Liz John for reeling in lumber contributions from the master gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension Service and a raised bed kit from Half Moon Works and recruiting a team of buildings.
At Myers, stalwart volunteers Andrew Carlson and Greg Popp built a handsome enclosure next to the Vegetable Project’s shed, where we’ll stow some of an ever-growing collection of supplies and materials.
—Bill Stoneman
