In Superintendent Berta’s last article he referenced a few of the partnerships that bond the schools and the community together and how it benefits both parties. This is a continuation of that story that is highlighting the partnership between South Haven Elementary School staff, Gabriel’s Horn Women’s Homeless Shelter, Rebuilding Together Portage, The Porter County Master Gardener’s Association, and the South Haven Garden Club.
In the spring of 2010 South Haven Elementary School was awarded a grant by the Master Gardener’s Association of Porter County to beautify the community with plantings facilitated through the South Haven Garden Club. Seeds, soil, and other supplies were purchased using the grant money and work began this spring. Under the guidance of Mrs. Loverich, grade 5 teacher, the Garden Club has been composting fruit and vegetable scraps from lunches in the cafeteria and they used them as amendments to the soil for planting the seeds purchased through the generous Master Gardener’s grant. The students then set up a seed nursery in the schools courtyard that was tended daily by the club members until the plants became mature enough to transplant.
On April 30th members of the South Haven Elementary School staff and garden club worked together in conjunction with the leaders of Rebuilding Together Portage at Gabriel’s Horn Women’s Homeless Shelter to install the landscaping plants that were grown and purchased from the Master Gardener’s Grant. Staff members from South Haven and Gabriel’s Horn also brought plants and donated them to the cause. Tools and supplies were furnished by the Rebuilding leadership for the staff and students and coordination of the efforts made the job and its completion seamless. South Haven Elementary students and staff members were able to work alongside members of the Gabriel’s Horn Executive Board when installing the landscaping. It was a life lesson for all involved. The results of this partnership help bring awareness to the children and adults involved that is far beyond beautiful landscaping, they reach to community involvement, giving back, mentorships, and paying it forward. This is the second year that this partnership has existed. The organizations goal is to keep all of this year’s players together and prepare to be back at the Shelter again next year to continue the quality work and partnership experiences that have been so fruitful. There is something about working with the earth that is such a basic teaching and learning tool that it must be shared between and within the generations
Work of this type not only grows seeds to plants but grows children and adults to move from focus on self to focus to focus on others and how it benefits their school, community and world.