Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds

Our first lecture series is scheduled for June 1, 2011 at 6:30pm at BCHMCPS.  These lecture series will be held on a quarterly basis and are free.  All community members are welcome to attend.  This one will be for adults and focus on developing healthy eating habits.  Dr. Kumara Sidhartha from Emerald Physicians of Hyannis is leading up the adult portion of our Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds educational lecture series.  More lectures for children and adults involving nutrition and exercise are in the works, so please visit back frequently for updates.  In the meantime, here is Dr. Sidhartha's biography.

Dr.Kumara Sidhartha grew up in Salem, South India.  He graduated from medical school at GMK Medical College in Salem, India in 1995. He moved to the United States when he got accepted for a MD training program. In 2002, he completed the medical residency training at Lincoln Hospital- affiliated with Cornell University, NY. He was ranked in the top 10 percentile in the United States when he got certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 2003. His Swiss medical training in 2008 and 2009 made him a diplomat of European Biological Medicine, a nutrition-centered natural therapeutic philosophy practiced at Paracelsus Klinik in Switzerland. He is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition by Cornell University in NY. Dr.Sidhartha is currently studying Master of Public Health Nutrition, with the distance learning program at University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is currently in practice as a primary care physician in Cape Cod with special focus on Nutrition. For the past eight years, his patients have benefited from his guidance in changing their diets to prevent and treat chronic diseases. Dr.Sidhartha also teaches Nutrition, Anatomy and Physiology at the Kind Yoga Teacher Training School, a nationally certified institute in Cape Cod. He is the founder and president of the Institute for Inter-Connected Communities in India, a non-profit organization with a vision to create role-model communities which are healthy, resilient, sustainable and self-reliant. He is a member of the American College of Preventive Medicine. He is a member of the American Professional Speakers Association and the World Speakers Association. He does regular public lectures and seminars on nutrition topics in Cape Cod and Boston area in the US and in South India.

Mark your calendars.  This should be a great way to start our series!

It Takes A Village

Seed trays are ready for planting

In this case, it's the seven villages within the town of Barnstable!  Our school is unique and extremely proud to say that we are a school of choice representing students from all seven villages.  As the ground continues to thaw and the buds form on the trees, we are starting our plans to plant seedlings in the classroom.  Over 365 students at our school will be responsible for planting and caring for these tender seedlings.  Once the seeds are planted, they will spend the next few weeks sitting upon window sills listening to the classroom's lessons, as they prepare to emerge from their seeds.  Finally, after 7-10 days of germination, they will spring to life as the most delicate seedlings.  They will continue to grow until they can survive on their own outside.  Late May, when we are free from the dangers of frost, they will take root in the warm rich soil. However, we are not ready for those seedlings just yet, we still have to construct that garden!

Seedlings ready to go outside

As the seeds grow and strengthen inside, outside our community volunteers will get ready to make the garden blueprints a reality.  With lumber, nails, hammers and hardware, the 30 raised beds will be constructed.  Soil enriched with compost and supplements will be shoveled into those beds.  It is a great deal of work.  It is going to take many hands to create this living edible classroom.  However, I know that hard work and dedication will yield "fruits" of our labor. We are going to need volunteers to make this garden a reality.  Every child at our school will be involved in the garden.  By volunteering a couple of hours of your valuable time on April 16th, you will be helping to provide students with lessons from our schoolyard garden that will last their entire lifetime.  Life rarely provides people with volunteering opportunities that impact not only today's generations but tomorrow's,  here is one that I think does just that! 

Raised beds grow tomatos

Photo credits:  Chiot's Run

Tomorrow Night

We just wanted to remind everyone that we are having our first volunteer meeting for The Garden at BCHMCPS.  It will be tomorrow night at 6:30pm at the school located at 165 Bearses Way in Hyannis.  We hope to see you there! All are welcome!

A Week Later...

...and we are seeing the children's miniature gardens we planted during our cluster session before the winter break come to life.  Perched upon the windowsill, they have been quietly growing in their miniature greenhouses.  The students are going to be so excited to see them this Friday!

A quick glimpse at our seedlings