Page 35 - April 2022 Proof

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Spring flowers blooming system using three nutrient ingredients grow, micro and bloom which were all added to water. The 300-gallon water tank required students to calculate
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By Julie Matuszewski; photos of courtesy Rebecca Jones
DCS Montessori (DCSM) greenhouse teacher Rebecca Jones loves spring and all things growing green. In preparation
for the spring season and DCSM’s school community annual spring plant sale, Jones and her greenhouse students looked closely at nutrients needed for plants to thrive. Using two growth systems, the class studied, compared and better understood the perfect growing environment for their spring flowers and vegetables.
Seedlings of the same flowering plants were growing in organic, conventional potting soil as well as a hydroponic
how much of each solution to add based on the stage of the flowering plants.
Students studied the sprout, seedling, vegetative, budding, flowering, and ripening stages of each plant. As the concentration of solution changed with each plant stage, students learned how to watch the concentration in the water tank using pH and EC meters.
Several vegetables have also been planted for the upcoming DCSM spring plant sale. Tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans and cucumbers
are just a few of the many varieties that will be available. The greenhouse students – together with the microeconomy students – planned, organized, marketed and executed this year’s sale. All proceeds from the plant sale will support the DCSM greenhouse and microeconomy programs.
Biographies on a bottle
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Timber Trail Elementary
Not only is Chelsea Werner a four-time Special Olympic USA Gymnastic champion and two-time world champion, she is also the muse behind Grace Creeden’s biography bottle.
Timber Trail Elementary second grade students created “Biography Bottles”
in the likeness of a famous person they chose to study and research. Using 2-liter soda bottles and other select craft supplies, the students created unique biography bottles of figures like Queen Elizabeth I, King Tut and Helen Keller. Incorporating their research, writing and presentation skills, students delivered
a biography slide show presentation to their classmates.
Evan Rodriguez showcasing his biography bottle of Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian painter credited as the founder of the High Renaissance.
Healthy seedlings thrive in a hydroponic system and will soon be available at this year’s DCSM spring plant sale.
Onions, tomatoes, peas and pumpkins are a few of the many vegetables that DCSM greenhouse students planted for their annual sale. In previous sales, students sold 2,000 veggie sprouts and 100 flower pots to the DCSM community.
April 2022