Pepsi Refresh Grant Projects

We want to encourage ALL the school gardens to submit an application for funding to help their school garden projects. Especially if you are planning to donate your produce to the local food bank, open your school gardens to community members, or just using it as a tool to help children to develop healthy eating habits and a taste for fresh produce.
The Pepsi Refresh Project is looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it.
The First step is to submit your idea (anybody can submit their idea.)and then vote for your favorite ideas (You should recruit your friends to vote for you idea too!!). Applications will be accepted from the 1st through the 15th, or until we receive 1,000 ideas, whichever comes first. Starting February 1st, vote for up to 10 of your favorite ideas every day. If you submitted an idea, feel free to vote for your own. Ideas chosen by users to receive grants will be announced at the end of every month. Then the whole process starts over. We're Awarding Grants of All Sizes: $5,000, $25,000, $50,000, $250,000. For more details please visit: http://www.refresheverything.com/how-it-works

More pictures of Okatie elementary school

This is one of the side of the garden showing irrigation

In this picture we can see one side of the garden.

In this picture we can see another side of the garden.

More pictures of Okatie elementary school children!

In these pictures we can see the 2nd graders reading the books on healthy eating and plants.
Today we finally got a tractor and driver. We repotted many tomatoes.

Okatie Elementary School

In the first and second pictures we can see the tomato plants in the window ready to get move to the greenhouse.
In the third picture we can see the 5th graders putting tomato plants in greenhouse
In the 4th picture we can see the 5th graders getting rocks to repot tomatoe plants.

Bee Week!

There were 247 kids come through Bee Week this week!
Bee Week is hosted by volunteer beekeepers from the Edisto, Aiken and Mid-Carolina Beekeepers association, who host this event to educate youth about the importance of bees and the art of beekeeping.
Since 2001, 2,706 second grade students from Bamberg, Barnwell, Aiken and Hampton Counties have attended 4-H Animal Science Week.
For more information about Bee Week, please contact Mindy Sandifer with the Barnwell County Career Center & FFA Program.

Activities at Gray Court-Owings Elementary!!

Students, and fellow Montessori teachers have been busy starting seedlings in the classrooms. They have started tomatoes, various squash, peppers, lettuce, dill, and had some failed attempts at broccoli and parsley. Students recently planted some potatoes outside as well. This has allowed the primary classes up to fifth grade classes the opportunity to see vegetable and herb plants start from seed. They have also been responsible for helping water, and transplanting certain plants.

Last week fabric was put down and some soil delivered for the raised beds. Construction of the raised beds will begin after students return from spring break. The hope is to have them complete by April 23rd when we will invite families to come plant, weed and/or transplant in honor of Earth Day.

Teachers - Make plans to attend the 2010 South Carolina Ag in the Classroom Institute! FREE Tuition!

Looking for creative ways to make sure all your students learn important concepts? Join us for an innovative hands-on approach to learning. This Institute focuses on how you can tailor your teaching style to maximize comprehension for students of all learning styles. Ag in the Classroom and Learning Styles offers practical applications and teaching strategies which will grab your students' attention and encourage participation. The institute will be in Florence, South Carolina July 12-16, 2010. For more information visit: http://www.scfb.org/getinvolved/agintheclassroom.aspx