Let’s Grow At ALMS
Do you like gardens? Do you have a garden? Do you know the gardens where there are beautiful flowers or crops? Well here at Andrew Lewis Middle School we have a garden and there are so many hard-working people getting our garden to be beautiful again. One of those hard-working people is a 7th-grade teacher here at ALMS (Andrew Lewis Middle School). Her name is Mrs. Bowen.
Mrs. Bowen is an amazing 7th-grade teacher who taught 8th grade last year and moved down to 7th grade this year. She teaches English and with her schedule full she still can fix up Andrew Lewis’s garden? How does she do it all when she’s always so busy? Does she have anyone to help her? She does have help and the people helping her are students, isn’t it exciting?
One reason Mrs. Bowen said why she wants to fix up the garden is, “I have taught at nine schools and this is the first one that has a school garden. That is unique and special. We take for granted the work that goes into growing our food because it is so convenient to stop at Kroger and buy whatever we want to eat. Being outside is so good for your spirit and mood. Digging in the dirt is humbling. I want to provide this opportunity for interested Wolverines who might not have space or resources to grow their garden at home. Sharing the surplus harvest (what we grow) with Salemites who come to the food pantry is also very satisfying.”
Another reason Mrs. Bowen is cleaning the garden is because she wants to take this hard-working task off Mrs. Painter’s hands. Mrs. Painter is an 8th-grade teacher. She teaches world geography and she always has her hands full. Mrs. Painter has been the garden coordinator since the beginning of covid.
Mrs. Painter said, “I picked up the garden in the Spring of 2020 when COVID shut down the school. I had noticed that Mrs. Grimshaw’s classes had planted some things in it and the crops needed to be harvested. After that, the garden was used mainly by my classes and a few others to support the students/families receiving food support from the school food pantry. Mrs. Gerrol and Mrs. Malek’s classes made the artwork that decorates the fence and the middle table. Mrs. Gerrol’s classes last year made planters to take home also. Over the last two years, the produce has gone home with my students, summer volunteers, and to the Salem Food Pantry.” Mrs. Painter and Mrs. Bowen have worked together on many projects therefore Mrs. Painter trusts Mrs. Bowen to work on the garden.
Lastly, I asked Mrs. Bowen, do you enjoy gardening? She answered by saying, “I do! We had a garden when I was growing up so I enjoy just being outside. I also have a small garden at home now too. Pulling weeds makes me feel better when I’m frustrated. My favorite thing to grow and eat is spinach.” I heard Mrs. Bowen say that it sounds like our garden here at ALMS (Andrew Lewis Middle School) is in good hands!
Mrs. Brown enjoys gardening but do you? If you do Mrs. Bowen gladly needs more people to help. Anyone is welcome rather than a guardian, sibling, or student even if you simply want to help here is a website to look at more information about the garden.