Gallo Pinto
June 2008
junio 2008
Mejorando la tierra

Alumnos de séptimo y octavo comparten la ciencia trabajando en la huerta

Heather Gosse

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Este semestre, la clase de séptimo y octavo trabajaron mejorando la tierra del jardín por medio de abono orgánico y paleando y formando los surcos. Hemos podido mejorar la tierra en la mayoría de la huerta y hemos plantado culantro, rábano, albahaca, espinaca, cebolla, zanahoria, lechuga y repollo. El minicurso de “jardinear” de los niños menores también ha podido usar el jardín, y han plantado zanahoria, lechuga y ajo.

Estas son algunas cosas que la clase de séptimo y octavo ha aprendido alrededor del compost y dentro de la huerta:

“El compost no debe estar muy mojado ni muy seco, sinó húmedo. El compost puede oler mal, pero realmente ayuda las plantas a crecer mejor.”

“Cuando uno siembra una semilla, uno tiene que seguir ciertos pasos. Al prinicipio no los conozco, pero los aprendí. Cuando cuidamos a una planta, nos involucramos con su vida, y realmente sabemos qué le está pasando.”

“Hay que sembrar rábano profundamente para que los rábanos nuevos no salgan de la tierra y son comidos por insectos. Tratamos de probar si el rábano crece mejor adentro or afuera, y encontramos que crece más rápido afuera.”

“Culantro crece muy bien, aún sin mucha agua, y para cosecharlo, uno puede cortar el tallo y bota de nueva después de unos días. Yo voy a sembrar culantro en un balde en la cocina para tener culantro fresco cuando lo quiero.”

“Culantro crece muy rápido porque lo dibujamos cada semana y cuando lo dibujé, fue más grande y más grande. La zanahoria no crece tan rápidamente.”

“Dibujando plantas en la huerta me ha dado el sentido que cada detalle es importante, incluso el olor y el color.”

“Todas las planta requieren un montón de agua cada día, y toma mucho tiempo regarlas.”

“Yo aprendí que no debemos regar la tierra cuando no hay nada sembrado porque malas hierbas empiezan a crecer. Malas hierbas son un dolor y brotan más rápidamente que cualquier otra cosa. Charita que nuestras plantas no son así.”

“Yo entiendo más o menos que tan duro un jardinero tiene que trabajar para hacer un buen jardín porque hice todo el trabajo haciendo los surcos y mantiendo las plantas vivas.”

“Una huerta significa mucho trabajo y mucha comida fresca y buena.”

Traducido por Richard Joyce, undécimo grado.
Improving the soil

Seventh- and eighth-grade students share science through gardening

Heather Gosse

[pdf]

This semester, the seventh and eighth grade worked on improving the soil in the garden with compost and by re-digging and forming the beds. We have been able to improve the soil in most of the garden, and have planted cilantro, radishes, basil, spinach, onions, carrots, lettuce, and cabbage. The younger students’ gardening minicourse has also been able to use the garden, and they have planted carrots, lettuce, and garlic.

Here are some things the seventh and eighth grade have learned through this time spent in and around the compost bins and the garden:

“Compost shouldn’t be too wet or too dry, but humid. It might smell bad, but it really helps the plants grow better.”

“When you plant a seed, you have to follow certain steps. Most of them I didn’t know at first, but I learned. When you take care of a plant, you get involved with its life, and really know what is happening to it.”

“Radishes have to be planted deep so that they won’t stick out of the ground and be eaten by insects. We tested to see if radishes grew better inside or outside, and we found out that they grow faster outside.”

“Culantro grows really well, even without much water, and to harvest it, you just cut the stems and they grow back in a few days. I’m going to plant some in a bucket in the kitchen to have it fresh whenever I want.”

“Culantro grows really fast because we did sketches every week and when I drew them, they were bigger and bigger. Carrots don’t grow as fast.”

“Drawing plants in the garden has given me the sense of how every detail is important, even the smell and color.”

“The plants take up tons of water each day and it takes forever to water all the stuff.”

“We shouldn’t water the earth while nothing is planted because weeds would start growing. Weeds are a pain and spring up faster than anything else. Why can’t our plants be that way?”

“I understand how hard a gardener works to make a good garden because I did all the work of making beds for the plants and keeping the plants alive.”

“A garden means a lot of work and good, fresh garden food!”

Our school is sustained by donations to our scholarship fund. Over one third of our students are on financial aid. To start the 2008–2009 school year we will need approximately $50,000, of which we currently have only $36,000. We are blessed by a broad base of donors, each contributing a small amount. Each one makes a difference.

_____ $230 provides an 85% scholarship for one elementary student for one month
_____ $135 provides a 50% scholarship for one elementary student for one month
_____ $ 67 provides a 25% scholarship for one elementary student for one month
_____ $ 27 provides a 10% scholarship for one elementary student for one month

Your donations to our scholarship fund allow us to retain quality teachers, and buy books and supplies. Monteverde Friends School is grateful to our broad base of donors who allow us to provide the quality education we do to all eligible students regardless of their ability to pay.

If you are in need of a U.S. tax deduction you can send money to Monteverde Friends US at the following address:

Clara Rowe
Monteverde Friends U. S.
P. O. Box 993
Amherst, MA 01004

Checks can also be made out directly to the Monteverde Friends School and delivered here.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!