Planting of the Green

        Now in some elementary schools, students celebrate March 17th with leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and a wee bit of glitter, and that's true for some of the classrooms at Central. Students woke up on March 17th, put on their favorite green clothes and gathered together for  the Planting of the Green. For the second straight year, parent volunteers made over four hundred newspaper cups, filled buckets full of rich soil and laid out over 26 varieties of seeds. After a short presentation, the students planted their seeds in the cups, learning about how to measure how deep the seeds should go, how much water and sunlight they would need and how long it would take for them to sprout. Morning preK and K classes went straight to the hoop house where they planted lettuce straight into the raised beds. The seeds and soil were made possible by a grant from the Marshwood Education Foundation.   Many thanks to Pauliina Pope for helping the morning PreK and Kindergarten  students plant their seeds!

Tree Damage A Concern

On March 11th I stopped by the Outdoor Classroom and was alarmed to see Terrence standing next to a tree that had significant tree damage. Not sure what to do, we brought the problem to the third grade tech team.  We decided it would be best if the community heard it from Terrence. So here goes:

An Interview With Terrence Parker

As the snow begins to melt and the days grow longer, Central School tech team members ask Terrence Parker to reflect on all that has been accomplished. How DID this all start, anyway?

Fruit Smoothies, Kale Chips and a big microphone....

What a day! I know leap days only come once every four years, but this was the kind of day I wouldn't mind having more often. Mrs. Craffey's class and Kathy Gunst did a superb job making fruit smoothies and kale chips while being recorded by WBUR's audio producer for "Here and Now". Our faces showed our surprise when he told us he had just come from Boston where he interviewed Lady Gaga. From Lady Gaga to Central School, in one day. What a job! We'll post the link to our "Here and Now" episode as soon as we get it. If you are thinking, "I sure am proud to have my children go to Central School", you should be! Kathy couldn't stop complimenting the third grade students  today. "They are so polite and smart!"

We are pretty proud of Kathy Gunst too. She's been so busy with her interviews, cooking classes, book signings and more. We were finally able to present her with her Christmas gift today, three quilted postcards of the school, hoop house and of Kathy's hands helping a student plant a seedling. Kathy is looking forward to hanging it in her office for inspiration. Love it!

Note: the quilted postcards were made by Linda Johnson of Sew Upscale. You can visit her store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewUpscale?ref=ss_profile

Leap Forward Into Healthy Eating

     2012 has kept Kathy Gunst running, flying, reading and chopping as she continues her book tour and cooking classes from one coast to another. We are thrilled she will be able carve out some time and join us on Wednesday Feb. 29th, leap day!  A radio and video producer from WBUR's Here and Now will come to Central School to work with Kathy and Mrs. Zottoli-Breen's third grade class to produce a piece about kids' cooking.  The students will cook kale chips and make grated carrot salad.  The session will be interspersed with discussions about the importance of healthy eating. The kids will follow recipes, integrating their literacy, writing and math skills.  We will let you know when the session will be aired. Kathy looks forward to returning in a few weeks to work with the remaining third grade classes.

The Amphitheater is Done!

This past week we enjoyed watching the amphitheater come to life. Check out this video created by third grade tech student, Thomas B. Many thanks to Site Structures Landscape, Inc. for showing us how to use a level and create an amphitheater!

Kale Chips and Chard Tacos.... Mmm!

On December 14th the second grade students had the opportunity to cook with Kathy Gunst, ALL AT THE SAME TIME! The morning was a success, with most of the students going for seconds and thirds. Check out the Voice Thread created by Mrs. Gilbride's class or read the article by Ruth Baker.