Plant sale funds to help garden project
Some people go to great lengths to support a cause.
For $500 an inch, Hayden Meadows teacher Vern Harvey did the opposite.
The once long-haired fourth-grade teacher offered to trim an inch off his locks for every $500 kids raised toward the school’s gardening project.
“I got about $2,000 out of that,” Harvey said.
On May 17, a less-unusual fundraiser is planned to support the schoolwide Green Thumb Productions, which has resulted in elaborate gardens – shade and sun and rose – surrounding the school, complete with fountains and benches and colorful birdhouses on posts.
The school’s greenhouse, full of plants grown by students, will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday for the school’s second annual greenhouse sale.
Prices range from $1 for small plants to $3 for a geranium to $30 for a large hanging basket. Giant “magic” pumpkins grown by kindergarten students and “monster tomatoes” sown by second graders are among the offerings.
Harvey said the money raised will help support the school’s gardening project, which will be featured as part of the Coeur d’Alene Garden Tour this summer. The tour and the EXCEL Foundation are among sponsors of the project.
Parents volunteer time to help water and care for the plants and gardens year round. Students apply for “jobs” during summer break tending the flowers.
Throughout the year, teachers in the school incorporate the gardens into their lesson plans.
First-grade students measure and identify parts of the flowers and other classes have visited the greenhouse to write poetry among the begonias, geraniums and marigolds.
“I didn’t know anything about plants at first,” said fourth-grader Cory Summers. “Now I know most of the basic things.”
Harvey said gardening is his passion.
“My philosophy is bring your passion to school,” he said.
Disabilities writing contest winners announced
Winners of the Coeur d’Alene School District’s Disabilities Awareness Writing Contest were recognized April 30 during a ceremony at Woodland Middle School.
The sixth annual competition drew 120 entries from throughout the school district.
Grade-level winners were: Kylie Tetzner, kindergarten, Borah Elementary; Bennett Cunningham, first grade, Skyway Elementary; Steven Goncalves, second grade, Borah Elementary; Brooklyn Cunningham, third grade, Skyway Elementary; Landon Grigsby, fourth grade, Skyway Elementary; Mary Olvera, fifth grade, Ramsey Elementary; Hailey Jackson, sixth grade, Woodland Middle School; Jacob Rankin, ninth grade, homeschool; and Lindsey Foley, 10th grade, Lake City High.
Prizes included medallions from Sunshine Minting and Whites Electronics, and each winner received a $20 Target gift card courtesy of Jennifer’s Coeur d’Alene Cars. Several other businesses donated additional prizes, according to the school district.
Students win Reading Rainbow contest
A Post Falls kindergartner is a statewide winner of Idaho Public Television’s regional READING RAINBOW Young Writers and Illustrators Awards contest.
Kameron Vordahl’s story “The Adventure of Me and My Brother” was the first-place winner among kindergarten students in Idaho, qualifying Kameron for the national contest in June.
Coeur d’Alene’s Samuel Anderson placed third in the state among kindergarteners.
Students had to write stories and submit pictures for the children’s TV show’s 14th annual contest. Kameron and Samuel – among 887 students who entered throughout the state – will be recognized at a ceremony at 4 p.m. today at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
Drama department presents ‘Nunsense’
Lake City High’s Troupe de Wolfe presents the musical comedy “Nunsense” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights this week in the school’s Blue Room. The show is $15 per person and includes dinner catered by Rustler’s Roost. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. followed by the show at 7. Reservations are required. Call Sandy Seaton at 769-0769.