Morningside Elementary wins $5,000 from Smuckers for teaching garden

ALBANY — Morningside Elementary School is one of four grand prize winners of Smucker Foodservice’s first “Get Out and Grow” initiative. The school was also awarded $5,000 for use in starting a school garden.

Dougherty County Schools Nutrition Director Blaine Allen said since Morningside already has a teaching garden in place, the money would be used to help create an outdoor classroom to be used as a pilot program for the district’s middle schools.

“We’d like to start the outdoor classroom some time in August,” Allen said. “It will allow the kids to do research and engage in practical knowledge and be able to take a closer look at the growing process. We are trying to encourage creative thinking outside of the box.”

The DCSS has partnered with the American Heart Association to make students more aware of their health and what they eat.

The Heart Association is taking a new approach in the fight against childhood obesity, teaming with noted child nutrition activist and philanthropist Kelly Meyer to create the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens. The plots, planted in elementary schools across the country, are real-life learning laboratories for students to learn what it means to be healthy.

Aimed at first- through fifth-graders, children are being taught how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and, ultimately, understand the value of good eating habits.

Garden-themed lessons teach nutrition, math, science and other subjects, all while having fun in the fresh air and working with their hands. Once a school commits to the program, a schoolwide planting day is scheduled.

Lincoln Elementary Magnet was the first Dougherty County School to commit to the program in 2012.

“At the J.M. Smucker Company, it is our goal to provide school food service directors with the products, tools and promotions they need to educate students on the connections to the foods they eat,” said Ryan Gibson, marketing manager for Smucker Foodservice. “‘Get Out And Grow’ is a perfect example of how this works. We’re thrilled with the response to this program and look forward to supporting the creation of many school gardens in the future.”

Allen said he is excited about putting together the new outdoor classroom.

“There will be math and science involved to create a learning process,” he said. “The outdoor classroom will have all of the elements for education. Schools will have teaching gardens and look to Morningside as the pilot model. Eventually, we will also move the program into our middle schools.”