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Green School achievement coverage ABC 2 News

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The students of Atholton are responsible for learning so many objectives related to a native habitat that it only made sense during our MD Green School initiative to put together plans to plant a native habitat garden on school grounds.  Fifth graders learned about the benefits of a schoolyard habitat in the fall and wrote persuasive papers to convince the community to purchase a personalized brick that would be a part of the garden's teaching patio.  The bricks would help raise funds for our garden.  A grant was written, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust stepped up to the plate to become a partner in education by funding a major portion of the garden.  Garden Gate Landscaping was another generous partner in education, donating labor and plant discounts, as well as providing expertise and helping to orchestrate our big Planting Day.  A core group of fifth grade students began researching native plants specific to our region in the start of the school year.  Meeting weekly, these "Habitat Helpers" put together a list of desired plants based upon their research.  Finally the big day came - April 24, 2009.  A school-wide schedule was created to allow for EVERY student in the entire school from preschool to fifth grade to come and get involved in Planting Day.  Students and parent volunteers worked with Garden Gate to get the plants (and one native Redbud tree) in the ground, while the Habitat Helpers presented their native plant choices on posters mounted on an easel.  It couldn't have been a more perfect day.  For we had just found out that morning that we had become an official Maryland Green School.  The weather was perfect.  Our garden is gorgeous!  Currently, families and staff members of Atholton are signing up to care for our garden over the summer so that the plants can survive their first hot season.  We are thankful for the involvement of

Garden Gate to help us create a beautiful environment for learning about nature.  

Teaching patio to Green School