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Growing Young Minds with an Outdoor Garden at Riverton Elementary
Description
They are thinking outside the box, looking beyond the typical classroom to give students hands-on learning.
On this episode of the Supercast we take you to Riverton Elementary School where they are growing young minds using an outdoor garden. Find out how it works and why students can’t get enough of the outdoor classroom.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are thinking outside the box, looking beyond the typical classroom to give students a hands-on learning experience. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Riverton Elementary School, where they are growing young minds using an outdoor garden. Find out how it works and why students can't get enough of what has truly become an outdoor classroom.
We’re here with Katie Fuller, the PTA President. Katie, what has PTA's involvement been in this outdoor classroom?
Katie Fuller:
Well, about two and a half years ago, actually three years ago now, my little brother came to me. His daughter had started school here and I was involved in PTA and he helped plant this space when he was a student here. And he said, ‘it's really not been taken care of these last few years and it needs some help. And what can you as a PTA do?’ And so we got involved in cleaning up the space and kind of renewing and refreshing and starting to take care of it again after it had kind of been neglected for a couple of years.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. And has your brother been out to see it since it's been spruced up?
Katie Fuller:
He has, he actually came.
Anthony Godfrey:
I don't know if there is spruce. Can I say that it's spruced up? Since it's been Oaked up or Aspened up? I don't know. Okay. We'll get to that. We'll get to that.
Katie Fuller:
He came out and helped with one of our cleanup activities and we've had probably about a hundred volunteers come out and help with cleanup. We've had some community involvement from different businesses that have been willing to help us. And we've worked with the forest department to get some new trees and just really worked hard to get it cleaned back up. And we're grateful we have this space. It's really an unusual thing. I think for an elementary school to have something like this.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's gorgeous. I love it. And I love that PTA has jumped in as PTA does to help where you see the need. I'm on the state executive board for PTA. I love PTA and I love that you've been involved in this now. I was at a great community night that you put on, that the PTA put on, food trucks and everything. And part of that was also celebrating 25 years. Ish I saw the ish after the 25 years.
Katie Fuller:
COVID kinda messed up our timeline. Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
25 or so