New greenhouse at Hawthorne school

HAWTHORNE  Call it the rite of Spring as a bee buzzed around outside a new greenhouse at St. Anthony School here with the students considering it a sign that spring has finally arrived. This past weekend at a ribbon cutting ceremony, the school’s new greenhouse, located between St. Anthony Church and the convent, officially debuted. The greenhouse will enhance — or in gardening terms, cultivate — a new learning experience for the school’s STEM program.

Salesian Sister Colleen Clair, principal of the school, said, “The addition of a greenhouse to our STEM curriculum will enhance the hands-on learning our students already practice at St. Anthony School. The possibility for experimentation with hydroponics, fertilization methods and studies of air and water quality as well as the understanding of solar power by which the greenhouse is run, will enable them to expand their already profound knowledge and STEM experience.”

Sister Colleen, a group of teachers, parents and the school custodian, who make up the school’s greenhouse committee, planted seeds to bring the greenhouse to the school. It came to fruition through fundraising by St. Anthony’s Home and School Association. The greenhouse itself came from a school in Bergen County from Jennifer Costello, a teacher there, whose husband, Edward, is an alumnus of St. Anthony’s.

Fran Lewis, fifth to eighth grade math teacher at the school, said, “We are looking forward to educating our students at the greenhouse allowing us to use real-life examples and how we can apply math to solve problems. Looking through a textbook or computer screen limits that hands-on experience. They could learn to measure the length of how long a plant grew, weigh the amount of potting soil needed and examine the different colors.”

Each grade from pre-school through eighth grade will have a small section in the greenhouse that includes a planter to grow vegetables or plants.

For the early education students in Tiffany DellaCroce’s first- and second-grade math, science and social studies classes, the greenhouse sows the seeds of successful learning with its STEM curriculum which centers on plant life. The younger students also read “Jack and the Beanstalk” and the greenhouse adds an extra element to the story. “Learning about plants has been in our curriculum and they look forward to learning,” DellaCroce said. “With the greenhouse, the students can come out here and learn instead of just in a classroom.”

For the older students, there is a weather system installed that allows the students to learn about the outdoor conditions. The greenhouse also has solar panels so it uses as minimal amount of electricity.

Naomi Chacon, a seventh-grader, said, “It’s pretty cool to have a chance to come out here and take care of the plants or vegetables we are growing.”

“I feel comfortable here,” said David Encisco, a sixth grader. “We’re in a natural environment and I hope the greenhouse is successful.”

“We have a garden at home and I love planting,” fourth-grader Ben Carpenter said. “It’s cool that my school now has a greenhouse. I hope we grow lots of tomatoes and carrots.”

While the greenhouse is still in its early stages of growth, the students have plans for the space. In August, they hope to be harvesting vegetables and herbs to donate to the parish’s food pantry or other local food pantries. Next year, the seventh- and eighth-grade students will be responsible for maintaining the inside and outside of the greenhouse and garden area. In the spring of next year, the school also hopes to have a plant sale fundraiser.

Maureen McLaughlin, art teacher, who knows Costello and her family said, “It definitely enhances our STEM program and gives our students a great creative outlet. The greenhouse encourages interest in the students and since the school is service oriented, we have many hopes to help the community through the greenhouse.”