Go Healthy, Go Green

                                                       Summer in the Garden
                                                    

  This summer has been the first growing season for our school garden. We started out with two garden beds that were planted by the St. Peter's Sprouts, our after-school eco club.  We planted an assortment of herbs, tomatoes, and peppers.  The first plants in the beds will take us on our way to making some delicious salsa over the summer.  We also planted blueberry and blackberry bushes! We can already see the little berries taking form so that they can burst with flavor.  

The garden is definitely on its way to growing into an exciting outdoor classroom!   Our garden dream consisted of six raised beds that form a cross.  We began with two beds and hoped that we would be able to build the remaining four within the next five years. Our dream for a beautiful school garden became a reality this summer!  A very kind St. Peter's School mentor and his wife donated the remaining last four garden beds to complete our garden!  By the end of the summer, all six of the beds will be built, filled with compost, and ready to grow our fall crops! We hope that students in grades 2-5 will join the St. Peter's Sprouts and become a part of helping our garden grow!  

GO HEALTHY, GO GREEN INITIATIVES BEGIN AT ST. PETER’S SCHOOL---

As part of St. Peter’s School’s accreditation with SACS/CASI (Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Council on Accreditation and School Improvement), the school’s newest initiative is a “Go Healthy, Go Green” commitment that encompasses all aspects of the school.  To further continue these efforts in healthy lifestyles, a committee has been appointed to address these issues on an even deeper level.

Headed by third grade teacher (and co-curriculum coordinator) Randi Schlosser and Director of Development Jaime Melton, the committee also includes faculty members Myra Adkins, Sandi Dahl, Mark Tyson and Ceacy Welch.  This committee is charged with steering efforts to begin new healthful, sustainable changes on campus, including:

·         The most exciting change is our new lunch program, provided by Greenlife Grocery.  This program provides a daily hot meal and three alternate choices to students and faculty.  Additionally, organic milk is also available.  These meals incorporate healthy, fresh food and make use of organic and local food products wherever possible.  New earth friendly trays, reusable drink ware and water dispensers also assist the school’s efforts in creating as little waste as possible.  Greenlife Grocery owners and St. Peter’s parents Chuck and Cathy Pruett  continue to make education a broader focus of the lunch program, including monthly recipes and educational information for both parents and students in monthly menus.  The faculty even had “homework” over the summer--- reading “Chew on This” by Eric Schlosser. 

·         Creation of a student organization, the St. Peter’s Sprouts.  This eco-minded group of students helped create a program for weekly campus-wide recycling and the distribution/maintenance of recycling bins in each classroom at school.  This program finally addresses the issue of manpower to collect the school’s recyclable items and provides easily accessible bins at many points around the school.  Although the SPROUTS planned the program, the third grade has now taken on weekly collection as their own class project!

·         Planning and “planting” of first-ever St. Peter’s School garden.  With the help of our SPROUTS club and school families, the organic garden will:

o   Provide food to be incorporated into school lunches

o   Serve as an “edible classroom” for students and teachers to integrate lessons in math, science and social development for all ages.

·         The Sprouts have also helped plan the St. Peter’s school garden.  Parents John and Allison Creasey of Creasey Horticultural has generously donated his talent to develop a comprehensive garden plan consisting of raised beds for vegetables and herbs, an outdoor classroom area and flowers and bushes that attract particular birds.  Exact seeds and bushes will ultimately be determined by the Sprouts!

·         A concerted effort from parents, faculty and students to incorporate healthy, low sugar food items in snacks and lunches sent from home as well as classroom parties.  In order to limit the amount of sugary snacks, the school urges parents to consider “celebrating” their child’s birthday at school with a low-sugar snack, fun activity or a book donation to the library, etc.

·         Creation of a faculty and parent “resource” section in the library addressing family health, wellness and healthy/green curriculum themes.

·         School-wide participation in the Blue Cross Blue Shield “Walking Works” program, which includes physical activity in EVERY teacher and student’s day.  Some classes have partnered to walk together, even walking through the school on rainy days.  Fourth and fifth graders do a morning “snack and walk,” and have built up to a one-mile walk a day!

·         Food for Thought tips on health, wellness and sustainability are featured regularly in the school-wide weekly e-newsletter, the Epistle. 

·         While implementing this program, the school has made a tremendous amount of “community partners,” in organizations that we never would have encountered had we not been planning this special initiative!  These include:

o   Baylor School

o   Blueberry Farm

o   Blue Cross Blue Shield

o   Crabtree Farms

o   Creasey Horticultural

o   “Eat Smart, Healthy Start” Teaching Garden grants through the Chattanooga Hamilton-County Health Department

o   Greenlife Grocery

o   Master Gardener program

o   Natural Awakenings magazine

o   Natural Solutions

o   “Recycle Right” Chattanooga

o   Reflection Riding

o   Wild Birds Unlimited

o   WTCI