Bigfork Schools to seek funds for school garden

The Bigfork School Board approved Sue McGregor’s request to begin applying for grants so the school can eventually have a school garden similar to the one in Lakeside/Somers School District during their meeting last Wednesday.

McGregor made this request on behalf of the school’s wellness committee. In the past, the wellness committee has eradicated junk food from the school’s vending machines and replaced them with healthy snacks and brought yoga to the schools as well.

The location of the school’s garden is yet to be determined because of conflicts surrounding underground utility lines on campus where the garden was initially proposed. The hillside near the football field was also considered, but concerns about terracing lead to no official decision on the future of the school’s garden other than permission to begin applying for grants.

Part of McGregor’s proposal for the garden was its versatility as an educational tool. She explained to the board how a school garden creates a real-world implication for lessons in math and science while promoting physical activity and nutrition.

McGregor also said that Lakeside/Somers School District’s garden brings in over 400 pounds of vegetables, which can be served in the cafeteria once proper food safety guidelines are implemented.

“We looked at sources for funding and support is limitless, this is a hot ticket item for grants,” McGregor said.

The first phase of the school garden includes setting up a water source, fencing to keep deer and other wildlife out, and construction of raised gardening beds. Eventually McGregor and the wellness committee would like to expand the school’s garden into a greenhouse for year-round gardening.

Although the garden does not exist yet, it has been used for lessons such as mapping out the area and making scale drawings of what it could look like. The art class designs for the garden included the proposed name “The Garden of Eatin’” from one of the art students.

Master Gardener Monarae Tuhy offered her services with the school garden. Tuhy was concerned about how detached youth are from their food and where it comes from, stating that “some children think Cheetos grow on bushes.”

“It’s embarrassing how little kids know (about gardening),” Tuhy said. “One of the biggest things they are finding is it teaches kids how to interact.”

Superintendent Cynthia Clary, Bigfork High School Principal Matt Porrovecchio, Bigfork Elementary/Middle School Principal Matt Jensen and all the trustees except Paul Sandry were in favor of moving forward with the grant applications for the garden and asked that the wellness committee return with a different location proposal.

Jensen said he wouldn’t make use of the garden mandatory for any grade level and that incorporating it into the curriculum would be on a volunteer basis with the teachers. Porrovecchio said he appreciated the real-world application and noted that the school has moved forward on other projects without a clearcut plan, such as the iPads, and saw positive results because of it.

The board also discussed how technology is used in the classroom and the effects of allowing students to use their cell phones and other personal devices. There were concerns among the trustees about teachers being unable to control how students use their cell phones since it’s illegal for them to search the device.

The general consensus among the teachers present at the meeting was that allowing students to use their personal devices was beneficial to the learning process.

Librarian Scarlett Sherman said the sixth-graders have used their phones and iPods for making movies and Mike Roberts said it’s been invaluable for the yearbook class but there was inconsistency between teachers’ rules for when and how the devices could be used by students.

The board also discussed the new display televisions in the school that showcase students’ work along with school announcements and news related to the school.

“I got a call from the reporter at the Havre Valley News, the reporter had called OPI (Montana Office of Public Instruction) and asked where’s a school that’s doing great things with technology and they said the only school you need to look at is Bigfork,” Clary said.

In other Bigfork School District news:

• High school graduation is June 2 at 11 a.m. and eighth grade graduation is June 7 at 7 p.m.

• The elementary school’s fundraiser for Ember Fortuna raised $14,000.