Source: Alexa Gray
A unique gardening event was offered to McClatchy students on March 6, 2021. Students were invited to sign up to volunteer at the school and spruce up the gardens in the D-wing. This was one of the first events to be held at the school since COVID-19 lockdowns.
In the spread of two shifts, around 50 students signed up to help out. Volunteers were required to wear masks at all times and bring their own gardening tools. The gardens started out as barren and dull. When students arrived, potted plants speckled the planters and a massive pile of mulch sat on the concrete.
Mrs. Wong explained that this project was in the works for a while, “The push to get the D building spruced up started during drive-thru book pick up. The first step was a landscape architect visiting, then Ms. Egan got permission from the district for the project. PTSA stepped in to finance it and Ms. Anne Hawley took care of all the logistics.”
Mr. Masincupp described that being on campus was, “A little strange at first, but it was so nice to be in the sun, digging in the dirt to beautify the D-Wing. It made me miss being at school a bit more than I’d expected.”
Volunteers got messy in the dirt as they started planting. All types of plants were added to the garden from small leafy greens to small trees with bright flowers.
Mulch was also added to the gardens. Volunteers shoveled the mulch into wheelbarrows and spread it along the garden to complete the look.
While volunteers worked hard, they also got the chance to see teachers, colleagues, and peers face to face for the first time in a while.
“I loved seeing my colleagues, former students and current students that I’ve not met in person before! It was so energizing to see people I’ve missed so much this past year. I’ve been teaching at CKM since 2017 and the D-wing has always looked bleak on the outside, while other parts of our campus are gorgeous. It’s so nice to have a beautiful space for everyone to return to after such an historically bizarre and stressful year,” Masincupp added.
Maddy Brodeur (‘21) volunteered at the first shift, “It was good seeing the teachers and it makes me hopeful to come back to school and to a beautiful garden in May.”
Wong added that her favorite thing about volunteering was, “Seeing kids in person! Not even a close second. I work on campus every day, so it doesn’t feel weird to ‘be there’—but so happy to be doing something fun with my colleagues and kids and parents.”