Summer Garden Reflections

Blueberries, mixed greens and thyme

As each summer draws to a close, it is always a special time of reflection and anticipation. This summer is no different. It holds many memories, not the least of which is our weekly visits to the BCHMCPS Garden.

When Ken and I first began our visits, we were amazed by the level of involvement and commitment our school families were devoting to tend and harvest our garden’s bounty. We were happy to see our colleagues Nancy Miller, Susie Pease, and Ann Marie Melley working side-by-side with students and parents to care for the plants and produce. We were thrilled with our purchase of cukes, green beans, and swiss chard that we would enjoy throughout the following week.

In subsequent visits, we developed a real excitement of what would be growing, and what would be available for purchase. Each week brought new surprises – blueberries, rainbow carrots, many kinds of potatoes, green beans, cukes, swiss chard, and tomatoes, to name some of the delicious produce that was available.

Even more exciting was the interaction we were lucky enough to see of parents, students, and community members, as they worked together, sharing information about the planting process and harvesting tasks, talking about great recipes, and making plans for future plantings and experiences that could be shared with students during the school year, with great anticipation. We looked forward to seeing people who had become friends as a result of our visits. We also looked forward to seeing the teachable moments that were constantly happening around us.

It will be so interesting to follow our BCHMCPS Garden adventures, see what new crops will be flourishing, and watch the learning potential continue to unfold for our school family. A huge thank you to the volunteers who spearheaded this project, and continue to provide our school community with an invaluable experience. We are so very lucky to have such dedicated families supporting our students and school endeavors.

~Mr. and Mrs. Keenan

Friday Morning in the Garden

Today was a fabulous day with community members and school families sharing in harvesting the bounty of fruits and vegetables.  Today we picked blueberries, swiss chard, green beans and 64 cucumbers.  Our beautiful mixed greens and beets were picked too.  They are done for this growing season.  However, we plan to plant some more mixed greens for a Fall crop once school resumes. 

Yet, our growing season is far from over.  We still have tomatoes, herbs, carrots, and potatoes as well as cotton and pigeon peas on their way!  Don't forget to stop on by Tuesdays and Fridays from 8am -10am to pick up your organic locally grown produce for suggested donations.  We have also been extremely fortunate to donate weekly produce from the garden to our local homeless shelter, The Noah Shelter, in Hyannis around the corner from the school. 

We are having a fantastic first year!  Please stop by if you have the time.  We love visitors!

Photo Credit: MJ Keenan

Help Wanted

What do they say about the best laid plans? 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Recreation Division will be taking this summer off volunteering in the garden.  Therefore, we are going to need some help!  Also, because of our summer volunteer crew as it currently exists, we have decided to, for now, postpone selling at the Farmer's Market.  However, during our volunteer hours we will have fresh picked produce available for suggested donations.  This website will keep you up to date as to what is in season.  Feel free to drop by on one of those days and bring home some fresh produce.  No volunteering necessary to take home produce.

Summer Volunteer Schedule

No skills are necessary.  We will train you!  The garden will only be workable on our scheduled dates.

Watering will occur on Monday and Thursday mornings throughout the summer.

Volunteer days will be on the following dates and are subject to change.  Please check this website for updates before you come.  Volunteering will be cancelled due to rain.

The hours for all days will be the same 8am-10am. 

Tuesdays
June 28
July 5, 12, 26
August 2, 16, 23, 30

Fridays
July 1, 8, 22, 29
August 12, 19, 26

Saturdays
July 16
August 6

We hope that you and your family can join us!  We are going to need all the help we can get in order to be successful.  Thank you and we hope to see you there!

Planting Day

Tool and seeds wait for volunteers

 It was a beautiful June Monday morning. The day had arrived.  In every classroom, students had started from seed various vegetable plants.  Now, three weeks old with no further danger of frost, the seedlings were transplanted  by the students into the garden.

Swiss chard

The garden had already been planted with seedlings generously donated by the Cape Cod Organic Farm and blueberry bushes and strawberries donated by Country Garden.  Sixteen classrooms journeyed into our edible classroom that day.

Volunteers

Volunteers young and old assisted over 350 students transfer their classroom seedlings.  We were also joined by Farmer Emily from the Cape Cod Organic Farm.   As expected, some classrooms had greater successes with their seedlings and some classrooms had complete failures.  These were great opportunities for lessons.  We troubleshooted together with the students.  We talked about the hard work and dedication of farmers.  We talked about patience.  We also revisited the life cycle of a seed.  Despite some classroom growing problem, every student planted a seedling thanks to cucumber and bean seedlings donated by the Cape Cod Organic Farm.

Tiny hands plant a bean

 Techniques to planting seedlings were learned by every student that day and by some novice volunteers.  It was great fun to see so many tiny hands do such powerful work!

Tomato bed

After planting, the students were given tours of the garden.  They were all so excited, asking questions and eager to learn.  The day was very rewarding.

Touching the thyme

The best part of the tour was when the students discovered the fresh thyme beds, or as they called them the "pizza plants". 

Listening to directions

Mixed greens

Today, the school is having their field day.  Yesterday, we harvested one bed of our mixed greens lettuce for a tossed salad and hamburger toppings.  I think the cafeteria ladies were impressed!  Monday we will harvest the Swiss Chard for that day's lunch.  The garden has been successful in many ways.  I cannot wait to share more experiences with you about our growing season!

Photo Credits:  M.Caughey

Feathered Heroines to the Resue

Three Silkie Bantams enjoy a breakfast of bugs

Termites were found in one of the new planting beds at the school.  As we are practicing organic gardening techniques, it was only natural to think of the chickens to help eradicate these unwanted pests.  My friend who owns the farm in Cotuit arrived around 9:30am with a large wire dog crate and three Silkie Bantam chickens. 

We stirred up the soil and then placed the cage inside the raised bed with the chickens inside.  We kept the chickens caged for their safety and to help them focus on the immediate task at hand.  Within seconds of being in the enclosure they got to work.  As they dined on their delicious breakfast of termites, students came outside to see the chickens busy at work.

While the chickens did their part, we planted strawberries, beets and potatos.  Ever so often, we lifted the cage and retilled the soil to unearth a fresh batch of termites.  Soon enough, the chickens were full.  Their crops became pendulous and we knew that they had done their job. 

 

You can find more pictures in today's copy of the Cape Cod Times on page A3.

Photo Credit:  Tilly's Nest

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds- New Speaker Added

We are pleased to announce that Dean Sherman will be joining our lecturers for our "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds" program.  He will be providing educational lectures on physical activity to both children and adults.  We are currently working on scheduling lectures sometime in June.  Here is his biography.

Dean Sherman, PT, MPT, COMT, CEAS, VRT, CCCE/CI, a Cape Cod native, was raised in a family of runners and outdoor enthusiasts, engaging in free running, orienteering, rock climbing, lacrosse, rugby, volleyball, kayaking, and snowshoeing. He was accepted into the University of New England’s prestigious Physical Therapy program, graduating with specialties in manual orthopaedics, pediatrics, and gait rehabilitation. He continued in post doctoral work in the area of differential medicine and manual therapy. Dean then worked with Olympic hopefuls, professional athletes, and Elite Runners alike at Kennebunk Physical Therapy on the Maine Coast. He then joined the world renowned staff at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he specialized in restoring gait and rehabilitating children with everything from congenital disorders to amputations.

In 2004, he returned to Cape Cod and began running a prominent Novacare Rehabilitation clinic in South Dennis, where he rejoined his local community, developing injury prevention programs for runners, contact sports, and weekend warriors alike. He developed new flexibility approaches for sport specific conditioning, and has become a consultant for multiple companies, municipalities, professionals, and sports leagues. Dean Sherman also has constructed an injury prevention and emergency sports medicine program for the Cape Cod Challenge Cup Soccer Tournament, now for the fifth year providing a wide range of services to over two hundred soccer teams. This program covers multiple sites, serving over 5,000 athletes, utilizing clinicians and equipment along with Novacare Rehabilitation’s and Select Physical Therapy’s Mobile Sports Medicine Clinic.

Dean is currently developing new programs and specialties for Novacare Rehabilitation as well as providing training to Physical Therapists as the clinical leader for the Cape and Islands. His clinic, one of 947 nation wide, provides specialized Physical Therapy, injury recovery, and post surgical rehabilitation; covering sports therapy, balance/agility/power rehab, work conditioning, vestibular rehabilitation, maxillofacial rehab, post-oncology therapy, pediatrics, women’s health, and geriatric rehabilitation. He has become an ergonomic specialist, holding a certification from the Back School of Atlanta, as well as being a member of the Orthopaedic and Sports specialty sections of the American Physical Therapy Association and National Sports & Conditioning Association. He is a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist recognized by OSHA/DOL and a physical tactics instructor. He is also undergoing expansion of his clinic and continues to train Physical Therapists, consults and lectures often, and provides educational series to surgeons, companies, organizations, schools, and physician groups.

Dean has lately been creating activity-specific injury prevention and conditioning programming for the Dennis-Yarmouth High School Athletic Department, local Police and Fire Services, and Cape Cod businesses and factories. He continues to provide ergonomics, renovation, and productivity/retasking consulting to individuals and companies across New England. He has recently completed an Orthopaedic Manual Therapy degree program from the Ola Grimsby Institute of Norway to become a Credentialed Orthopaedic Manual Therapist and specialist in Scientific Therapeutic Exercise Prescription. He resides in Yarmouthport, Cape Cod, Massachusetts with his loving wife Shannon, a Medical-Surgical RN.

Garden Dedication Plans

Last night, I went to the school committee meeting in order to formally present our community's desire to dedicated The Garden at BCHMCPS to retiring principal, Ken Keenan.  Here is the public comment that I made at the school committee meeting.

My son has had the privilege of attending the elementary charter school when it was in Marstons Mills and we followed it across town to the old Hyannis East building.  I was asked in the fall of 2010 to become the Project Coordinator for a new endeavor between the school, the Barnstable Recreation Division and the Mid-Cape Farmer’s Market. It was to create an organic school based garden.

Since then, the Garden has become a reality. The garden’s perimeter measures 245 linear feet. It will connect over 400 children of diverse demographics and socioeconomic status to the outdoors and nature. With more than 30 raised beds, The Garden at BCHMCPS will contain assorted organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Currently planned crops include tomatoes, various potatoes, beans, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, lettuces, cucumbers and herbs. These will be planted, harvested and sold weekly at the Mid-Cape Farmer’s Market throughout the year in the HYCC’s parking lot, adjacent to the school. Crops will be in production during the Spring, Summer and Fall months

The garden offers learning on multiple levels. Some of the learning opportunities provided by The Garden at BCHMCPS include discovering where food comes from, composting and worm farming, agricultural techniques and skills, responsibility, financial aspects of running a business, counting and sorting crops, art opportunities, journal keeping, problem solving, teamwork and building relationships. In addition to these goals, we are also attempting to combat childhood obesity and encourage children to make healthier dietary choices. We plan to integrate produce from the garden into our school’s lunches, provide tastings and host guest chefs for healthy cooking demonstrations.

Our leadership team is comprised of members of the health care field, local farmers, landscapers, educators, various school personnel including the head of Dining Services and School Facilities manager, local community volunteers, town officials and master gardeners. In addition, we are fortunate to have the support and partnership of local businesses including Emerald Physicians, Bass River Pediatrics, Massachusetts Audubon-Long Pasture, Ocean Song Farm, Cape Cod Organic Farm, Country Gardens, Barnstable County’s Healthy Connected Cape Cod Project, AmeriCorps, Slow Food, and The Cape Cod Organic Gardeners, Reliable Fencing and Pine Harbor Sheds.

Over the course of our planning, it soon became evident that our work with the garden has mirrored the work and accomplishments of Mr. Keenan’s long career within the Barnstable school system. Through his dedication and commitment to the schools, he has helped to shape and form the schooling experience in Barnstable.

When he first began at the charter school some years ago, he took the newly formed school from its beginnings and transformed it into a success story to be proud of. Like planting seeds and watching them grow, he nurtured the students, faculty and staff in a positive educational environment with guidance and support. When it was time to move across town, with the utmost care, he enthusiastically led us into the unknown. Our school is thriving. Our enrollment is at capacity and waiting lists exist. Our Garden is in its beginning stages. Mr. Keenan is at the end of his career in the Barnstable School system. It is the desires of the school community, students, the garden committee, faculty and staff that we dedicate our Garden to Mr. Keenan. It is symbolic of his work within the schools. It mirrors his career. Mr. Keenan is a role model and his dedication to the students and the school should be recognized.

As we till the soil, we hope that the garden dedication will serve to remind us of Mr. Keenan’s legacy. It will serve to remind us what we can achieve with hard work. Remind us about patience; remind us about unity and partnerships. It will remind us of the impact that he has had on thousands of individuals who have had the pleasure of working with him.