Windsor School PTA Hosts 5th Annual All-School Garden Tasting

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL- Windsor School PTA’s Green Team invited all students to try the organic foods grown and harvested from their school garden during the lunch hour on Friday, September 18th.

This is the fifth year for the All-School Garden Tasting at Windsor School. The Green Team hosts the annual event with the help of Chef Tom Leavitt, of White Oak Gourmet. Chef Tom collaborates with the Green Team each spring to decide what to make the next year. The Green Team then prepares a plan for the spring planting season. The PTA Green Team is responsible for planning, planting, caring for, and harvesting the nearly 20 pounds of vegetables needed for the tasting event.

In the spring, the Green Team meets to finalize plans for the garden beds. They plant seeds with the kindergarteners and encouraged all students to participate in the fun by getting their hands dirty and planting during their lunch recess. The garden is open for students to explore during their recess breaks and teachers are encouraged to use the garden as a living classroom. The Windsor PTA’s Green Team hopes that students will extend their learning from the classroom in the school garden.

The Green Team is committed to growing plants and flowers in the school garden with organic and natural methods. They work diligently to remove pests without the use of pesticides. They also set up a rotation for watering the school garden, as well as the Monarch Waystation Butterfly Garden, during the summer months. The Green Team relies heavily on the volunteers and the neighbors of Windsor School to keep an eye on the garden and to ensure its safekeeping.

This year, the students will have the opportunity to taste an organic kale salad. With the help of Chef Tom and his kitchen, the kale will be harvested and prepared for the lunchtime tasting. Each year, Chef Tom prepares a different dish. During the tasting event, Chef Tom demonstrates how the items are prepared. Any leftover items from the harvest will be donated to CEDA Northwest and the Wheeling Township Food Pantry.

The Garden Harvest Tasting is a special day that the staff and students look forward to each fall. ”It is wonderful to see students having a large role in the garden by planting, watering and harvesting. We truly enjoy this farm to table educational and lifestyle learning experience,” said Mrs. Fabrizio, principal of Windsor School. The Windsor PTA is thrilled to partner with Chef Tom to bring healthy, garden-grown items for all students to taste. For more information about the Windsor PTA, check out www.windsorpta.org.

About Windsor PTA

Windsor PTA is made up of more than 400 members with 72 volunteer Board Members. There are 52 Committees that assist with fundraising to support school, student, and family programs during the school year. They are committed to the mission of National PTA.