By: Jennica Nash

GALWAY–Mr. Marcantonio and a group of Galway students, have started construction behind the school of five16’x20’ greenhouses.  The greenhouses are being built to perform activities that relate to “sustainable” living practices.  Mr. Marc recently answered questions about this interesting and innovative project.

What are the greenhouses for?

They will be used to perform activities that relate to “Sustainable” living practices.  We plan to grow flowers and vegetables as well as produce compost.  There will not be any man made fertilizers or pesticides/herbicides used.  They will be grown naturally using ecological practices limiting the amount of human involvement.

How will this affect our school?

The food scraps from the cafeterias will be used to create the compost which will decrease the amount of garbage that needs to be removed from the school.  The food that will be produced could be used in the cafeteria to supplement the schools menus.

How long will construction of the greenhouses take?

We have just begun the site work this week (10/17).  We hope to have all five houses constructed by the end of the month.  Realistically, we will have them completed by mid November.

Who’s working on it?

As of now, the Residential Structures students are working on them during 2^nd period.  All Residential Structure students are invited to work on them after school to meet their “internship” hours.  The 4^th and 5^th grade students in my enrichment classes are also contributing ideas on different operations for the project.

Any teachers?

We have a small group of teachers that have been working on this project from the start (Mrs. O, Mr. Snow, Mr. Swain).  There has been interest from other HS teachers to contribute and utilize the project in their classes (Mr. Darlington, Mrs. Bechand, Mrs. Flores, Mrs. Donnan, Ms. Slater, Mrs. Decker, Mrs. Gerber) as well as some elementary teachers, but we have not had a formal meeting to discuss the project with them.

Do you have regular meetings about the project?

We are currently meeting on Tuesdays after school to share ideas and discuss the progress of the project.

How can kids get involved?

There can be involvement inside the classroom, which is up to each teacher.  We also have a group called TSWE (pronounced Ta-Swee)–The Student Workforce Experience.  The group aligns their occupational interest with the project to obtain experience in their chosen field.  Their work will be documented in a portfolio for future use.

How far are you in the project?

We are still in the development stage.  Once the greenhouses are functional, classes are invited to begin using them.  The idea is to create lessons that deal with the utilization of the whole site (the school and the farm).  Though there aren’t any formal lesson plans produced, we intend to create plans that revolve around the project so the students can build on their knowledge each year.

How did you think of this idea?

I guess it was a collaboration of things that came from professional development (superintendent days) and environmental situations, such as the budget crisis.  So far, this project has been funded by an outside organization, the Dockstader Trust.  We originally applied for Federal funding which structured the project.

How’s this going to effect the community?

Students will have the option to take seedlings home to start their own garden at home.  They will also be able to use the thought processes and skills needed to operate the farm, but also enrich their general lives.  In time, when the farm grows, we plan to document everything that goes along with the production system (lesson plans, procedures, alignment with state standards, etc.) and share it with others.  We have made partnerships with organizations, such as Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dockstader Trust, and community members to make this project a success.  So, this project isn’t just in school, it is spreading to the community.

Check back at eaglesmediacenter.com for continuing updates and photos of the project!