ROOSEVELT — “Some leaves you can actually eat.”
So concludes the acrostic poem titled “Leaves,” by a student in Donna Gazzani’s third grade class at Roosevelt Public School. It was a conclusion reached after the class recently created an herb garden within the larger Roosevelt Public School garden tended by the school body.
The student’s conclusion, that plants’ leaves can be eaten, is based on the plants in the herb garden, which were chosen for their flowers, their medicinal value, their scents and, importantly, for their flavors.
Ms. Gazzani is the first teacher in the school to win a grant from the Roosevelt Public School Education Foundation (RPSEF) for her proposal of an herb garden for the school and the larger community. The herb garden was envisioned by her as an extension of the third grade classroom and curriculum, which includes math work in measuring volume; a Social Studies unit on the Lenni-Lenape, for whom plants were important medicinally and as a food source; a science unit on plants focusing on their physical parts, their needs for survival, and their value to humans; as well as language arts, reading literature and writing poetry.
During recent class work in the garden, Ms. Gazzani could be heard stressing, “That’s cooperative thinking. Thank you.” She repeatedly emphasized that responsibility for the garden belonged to all of the students.
Cooperation is a class objective, as well as a school objective. Cooperative teamwork is a necessary element for the garden to be a success and flourish.
Cooperative effort has been a key element in the garden’s realization from the beginning. Attendance at fundraising events and generous contributions to RPSEF made funding for the project possible.
Among other necessities, the RPSEF grant paid for the plants and for stepping stones for the garden. Setting up the space, leveling the ground and placing a border around the raised bed for the herb garden were the contributions of the school’s custodian, Manuel Perez. Donations of soil and compost came from the Mendies Family Farm of Roosevelt, and mulch came from the Stanley family’s Timberwolf Tree Service of East Windsor.
The garden has involved the students actively and cooperatively in the work of weeding, mulching, and planting the herbs. In mid-June, the herb plants should be mature and ready for tasting. The larger Roosevelt community is invited to enjoy the results of the students’ labor and learning.
Updates on RPSEF’s fundraisers: Nineteen people participated in the pilates classes held at Roosevelt Public School from March 26 to April 30. Roosevelt resident Stacey Bonna donated her time to teach the class as a fundraiser for RPSEF. The class was enjoyed very much by the participants, and another six-week session is planned for the fall. It will be held on Thursday evenings, 6:45-7:30 p.m. from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5. The cost for all six classes is $60, and $15 is the charge for an individual class. Checks may be sent to Roosevelt Public School Education Foundation, PO Box 22, Roosevelt, NJ 08555 to reserve a space.
RPSEF hosted its first Parents Night Out at Roosevelt Public School on Friday, April 17. The children who participated enjoyed supervised outdoor games, pizza, an art activity and a movie.
The RPSEF second annual rock climbing event on Friday, May 1, was held at Rockville Climbing Center in Hamilton. Both climbers from our previous event and those new to rock climbing enjoyed the evening. Thank you to Maria Del Piano and her experienced team of belayers for securing the climbers so well. Donations are welcome and upcoming events will be announced at www.rpsef.org.
