Westmore Oaks Elementary School - Westmore Oaks Garden

GARDEN CLUB UPDATE

WMO Garden Club Members and Parents,

For this second half of the year, Paula Tapia will be leading our Garden Club program. We are very excited to have her take a turn at leading this amazing program and working with our fantastic students. Welcome to the helm, Miss Paula!

This second semester, we will also be limiting student participation to students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. We realize this is disappointing for our younger students, however, with so much interest in our program, we don’t currently have enough adult supervision to provide access to all grade levels and want to prioritize the upper grades at this time. We will be sure to communicate with our school community, however, as we are able to accommodate more students and grade-levels. We hope to be able to do so soon!

WMO GARDEN CLUB! WE ARE FULL!

Thank you to all students who have signed up for The "WMO Garden Club!" We currently have 71 students in grades 2nd through 8th who have returned permission slips! With only 4 adult volunteers, we need to stop accepting permission slips for the club at this time. If more adults volunteer to help, we will let you know.

FRUIT TREES!

Over 120 students planted fruit trees in our garden with help from Common Vision.

Please click the link to learn more about this amazing non-profit organization: http://www.commonvision.org

HERE’S WHAT’S NEW IN OUR GARDEN

New Production Beds at the back of the garden! We have LETTUCE, CUCUMBERS, AND CARROTS growing currently for our cafeteria.

Grow Your Own Lunch Grant from Yolo Farm to Fork! We will be working with a consultant who will help us grow even more food for our kids! More news to come…

Paula and WUSD Food Services have contracted with Fiery Ginger Farms (a local urban farm behind the post office) to purchase seedlings for 4 gardens in WUSD, WMO being one of them! Fiery Ginger will also produce fresh produce for our cafeteria!

A New Garden Sign! Deanea Elfers has created a work of art.

HERE'S WHAT'S GROWING IN OUR GARDEN

Kindergarten: PUMPKINS and SUNFLOWERS, harvest now through September.

1st Grade: PURPLE and GREEN BEANS harvest now for seeds; CUCUMBERS, harvest
through September.

2nd Grade: PUMPKINS, harvest through October; CUCUMBERS harvest through September.
You also have an empty box ready for planting.

3rd Grade: TOMATOES, harvest now through September; PUMPKINS, harvest now through
October. Your back bed is getting its final touches, will be ready soon!

4th Grade: CORN, harvest now for seed; TOMATOES, harvest now through September;
LETTUCE, harvest now through September.

5th Grade: TOMATOES, harvest now through September; CANTALOUPE, harvest now
through September. You also have PUMPKINS decomposing in your back bed.

6th Grade: CANTALOUPE, harvest now through September.

7th Grade: ZUCCHINI, harvest now through September; BIRDHOUSE GOURDS, harvest now
through October, and let dry through June.

8th Grade: CUCUMBERS, harvest now through September.
Herb Bed: BASIL, harvest now through early September.

SDC: TOMATOES, harvest now through September; JALAPENO PEPPERS, harvest now
through September.

Cynthia’s Herb Bed: Multiple herbs, good for sensory and medicinal herb lessons, making tea,
pollination lessons, etc.

SPECIAL THANKS!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR WONDERFUL FOLKS WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO WATER OUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER!!

Denise Abbott, Monique Wind, Cynthia Marsh, Jen Garcia (and Gracie), Charlotte Matlock, and the incredible water fairy ~ Paula Tapia! Our garden would not have survived the summer without you!

If anyone is interested in sharing the watering during the school year, PLEASE let us knowJ

GARDEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

There are many times during the school year when we need volunteers for our garden. If you're interested in receiving e-mails about "Work Party Days" in the garden, please fill out the attached form and send it to school with your student, or e-mail it.

Thank you!

WMO Garden Volunteer Form

IN THE BEGINNING...NOVEMBER 2014