Father John V. Doyle School has recently acquired an Aeroponic Tower Garden which was made possible thanks to a generous donation!  Students will learn to plan, plant, and harvest their own food by having a Tower Garden right in our science classroom!  Since the growing season in the northeast does not align with our school year, students in past years were able to begin the growing cycle but rarely saw it through to harvest.  Now, our students will benefit from year round access to fresh, organic food.  

As a Catholic school, we focus on the whole child.  Multiple content areas will be addressed through this project.  Students will use their math skills to sell a portion of the produce to members of the school and parish community.  Life skills will be acquired by maintaining a budget account to tend to the upkeep of the Tower Garden and to purchase the materials needed for a year round harvest.  The annual upkeep cost is approximately $85 per year.  Our students will also integrate technology as we utilize “Google Hangout” to communicate with another school who has a Tower Garden to share tips, tricks, and results. 

The Tower Garden will also benefit not only our students, but also the community, thereby supporting our mission statement by demonstrating the Catholic values we strive to instill.  Some of the produce harvested during the school year will be donated to the parish  Our Daily Bread program.  In addition, during the summer months, our science teacher Mrs. Elliott will continue to maintain the Tower Garden and donate 100% of the summer harvest to Our Daily Bread. 

As you can see, the Tower Garden will provide many benefits to Father John V. Doyle School.  The students are excited to start planning fundraising activities for grow lights so that we can start growing indoors right away!  If you are interested in donating to help cover accessories or annual maintenance costs, please contact the school office.
 

As always, Thank You for your support of Father John V. Doyle School!

Mrs. Jae T. Smith