Glen Cove Students Grow a Green Thumb

Students in the Glen Cove City School District’s Life Skills Vocational Training Program are creating a garden chock-full of vegetables in the high school’s courtyard.

The students look to design and build a permanent 100 percent organic garden. During the students’ presentation to administrators, Life Skills student Bryan Flores reflected, “As the vegetables grow, the students grow.”

The Life Skills Vocational Training Program provides students with an opportunity to work at different businesses on Mondays through Thursdays, including Walmart, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Toys “R” Us. On Fridays, they take part in other activities, including working in the garden. The students have built birdhouses, painted a birdbath, transplanted bushes and planted vegetables. They also watered and weeded around the area regularly.

This project is under the direction of Special Education teacher Monique Redman and teacher’s assistant Jenny Schlaefer. Schlaefer discussed the idea of a garden with students, who then came up with and presented the plan to the high school’s administration for approval.

According to Redman, the gardening has created a strong bond between her students and has had a calming effect on their daily routine. She said they are looking forward to seeing the vegetables and plants grow.

Story by Syntax, Photos courtesy of the Glen Cove City School District

1. Pictured (from left): Glen Cove students Tara Williams, Bryan Flores, Brianna Murphy, Josh Brown and James Wise are pictured with teacher’s assistant Jenny Schlaefer (second, left) teacher Monique Redman (right).

2. Student James Wise hung the birdhouse he created in the school’s courtyard.

3. Student Tara Williams helped teacher’s assistant Jenny Schlaefer fill a Hummingbird birdfeeder.