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Boreal Community Media

Great Expectations School annual plant sale provides educational opportunities, food, & funds

Dec 22, 2022 12:16PM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Markus Spiske 

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - December 22, 2022


On a cold, snowy winter day, Great Expectations School (GES) parents and staff are thinking green. 

Each year, GES hosts a plant sale, and relies on a team of volunteers to help make it a success. And while most of us are thinking of snow, the plant sale planning starts in January. 

"The team's purpose is to help our science teacher (Teacher Emma) worry about the teaching while we take care of the behind-the-scenes fun like choosing the plants, buying supplies, planting, watering, and transplant schedules so little plant babies can be big enough for our sale in May," said Kristina Mattson, GES Plant Team Volunteer Coordinator. 

The plant sale acts as a fundraiser for the school, an important one, and it provides educational opportunities for students in addition to being able to use some of the food they grow for school lunches. 

Mattson shared that the school is seeking at least 4 people who can coordinate the Plant Sale from start to finish (January to Mid-May). 

Responsibilities include:
-Ordering materials (soil, pots, seeds, etc...)
-Choosing which plants to grow for sale.
-Coordinate with the GES science teacher Emma to determine which tasks will be completed by students during class time to meet GES's environmental learning goals and vision. (Examples planting seeds, transferring seedlings, watering plants.)

GES will provide the team funding, various growing spaces on school property, and a volunteer coordinator for school community outreach, recruitment for the care of plants as needed and for working the sale.

"The GES plant sale team welcomes anyone regardless of ability to help out. Do you just want to know when to show up to be in a warm greenhouse to water or play in the dirt? Need to scratch that gardening itch in the winter? You're a good fit," said Mattson.

The plant sale team will start meeting in January. If you or someone you know are interested, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/F0PDQH9n6h









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