Growing Knowledge at Phoenix Academy

Phoenix Academy, Carmanville, NL
Grant term, 2024-2025

Our school, Phoenix Academy, is a small school in rural Newfoundland that serves approximately 175 students from Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12. We were very thankful to have received the Dig In! Seed Grant to help us establish our school garden. The last few years we have developed our garden with several raised garden boxes and a greenhouse, however, we were in need of more planters and fill (soil & fertizer) to expand to allow us to grow more crops.

In May we began our planting. Students filled cups and bins with seeds such as pumpkin, zucchini, tomato,

peppers, cucumbers, etc. They have also been helping to transplant these plants into bigger bins when needed, before we can place them in the garden or greenhouse. We have a later growing season so these plants are unable to move outside until later in June.

Over the last couple of weeks our primary/elementary students have been busy preparing the soil and garden boxes. A lot of weeding was needed as well as a lot of tending to the soil. This week students will begin to plant vegetables that will handle a little colder temperatures, such as carrots, beets, potatoes, and onions and peas. Next week our plants that we have been growing inside will be ready to move into the greenhouse and planted in our bins outside. Our students became really involved in these activities. Some had previous experience and shared what they already knew with their classmates, while others were experiencing these things for the first time. A lot of students expressed excitement about being able to come back in the fall to see fully grown plants and vegetables.

During the summer we will use the irrigation systems to help with the watering of both outside plants and greenhouse plants. Students will have a chance to be a part of setting this up once our plants are in place. One of our staff members will visit the garden regularly to check on things.

Also during the summer, once we have vegetables that are ready to harvest, our families will have an opportunity to visit the garden and take any items that are available.

In the Fall, our students will harvest the remaining crop and we will share them with our school community. Classes will preserve crops, cook crops, prepare crops to share with our school families.

We are very honoured to be a part of this wonderful program and hope that our students will carry any skills and knowledge with them to help whenever the opportunities arise.