Fifth-grade student delegates worked on a gardening project with the goal of seeing if they could grow what they eat at school this spring.
The first step was for the students to identify the various vegetables served over the course of the year. They invited Mark Mosher, our chef, to several meetings to talk about which vegetables and herbs he cooked most frequently and why. From this list, students started their research to see what could be planted before spring break and harvested before the summer vacation. The final candidates were: lettuce, snap peas, arugula, parsley, radishes and nasturtiums.
Finding a place where plants would thrive was essential. After surveying possible planting areas throughout the Lycée to evaluate the amount of direct sunlight and access to water, they decided to put their “farm” on the patio between our Primary and Secondary buildings.
They learned how to plant their selection taking into account seed specificities such as planting depth and how far apart the seeds should be planted.
Students then had to tend the garden. They also learned to distinguish seedlings from weeds, how to remove them effectively so they did not grow back. Along the way, some young plants had to be replanted so they had room to grow fully.
Last week, the students invited Chef Mark and Joel Sanchez from Flik, our cafeteria team, to their “farm” to help them harvest an impressive amount from such a small growing space.
Samples of these fresh Lycée grown vegetables were given for all to taste in the cafeteria to the great joy and pride of our fifth-grade student farmers!
About the Author :
Nadine Kaston was born in New York to French parents and has spent her life in a bilingual French-English environment. She attended school in France as a child but completed her studies at the Lycée Français de New York. She holds a master’s from Teachers College at Columbia University and began her teaching career at the university level. After the birth of her two children (both alumni of the Lycée), Nadine returned to the classroom to teach French and English as a Second Language to younger students. She taught for six years at the Lycée, before becoming Assistant Director of Primary in 2006.