Glenroi Heights Public School’s kitchen garden, which provides the students with the skills and knowledge to grow their own food, has been attacked by vandals.
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Since it was established in 2008 Glenroi students have had the pleasure of working in the garden, planting seeds and seedlings, tending them and watching them grow.
During the past five years, the garden has adopted the Stephanie Alexander School Kitchen Garden Program.
This is a scheme developed in Melbourne by celebrity chef Stephanie Alexander, the aim of which is to introduce children to the benefits and skills associated with growing their own produce.
Students over the past decade have been involved in the process of growing plants from seeds, planting them in the school's garden beds, tending, harvesting and cooking the fresh produce that they have grown themselves.
They have also been able to enjoy eating the fruits of their labour with their friends.
Last year, Glenroi proudly displayed examples of the school's produce at the Orange Show.
Sadly, this will not be happening this year.
What should have been a celebration of 10 years of successful gardening has turned into a tragedy.
During the school holidays vandals broke into the garden and destroyed much of the infrastructure, including the irrigation system.
Martelle Bennett, assistant principal and program coordinator, expressed the feelings of students, staff and garden volunteers when she explained how devastated and angry they are to have years of hard work and planning destroyed.
Ms Bennett says that the vandalism of the garden means that the program cannot start for this year until the damage is repaired and the equipment replaced, a costly process.
The Glenroi School Kitchen Garden program teaches students a range of skills.
Through activities in the garden the students learn about how plants grow from seeds, how to germinate plants, how to plant them and what needs to be done to help them grow to maturity, such as watering, fertilising and weeding.
Along the way the children also learn about composting and recycling of food scraps, which are fed to worms in the worm farm.
The program gives Glenroi students the opportunity to connect with nature and to understand and appreciate nature's cycle.
An important component of the program is the opportunity it provides for students to appreciate firsthand the wonderful taste of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the satisfaction home gardeners get from growing their own.
It is hoped that for some students, the program is sowing the seeds for a lifetime passion for backyard kitchen gardening.
The program is also designed to integrate the school kitchen garden into many curriculum areas, such as science, maths, literacy and the arts.
The garden is important to the school and the school is important to the Glenroi community. Let us hope that the community will rally around to help get this important program back on track.
If you can help, ring the school on 6362 7191.