Jefferson Garden

BREAKING NEWS: Pete's Apizza's generous fundraising event brought in $489 and the Whole Kids Foundation has awarded a $2,000 grant to the Jefferson Garden!

Welcome to the Jefferson Community Garden!

You need at least version 7 of Flash player. Download latest version here!

Donations from our garden to AFAC: Over 800 pounds of fresh vegetables

GARDEN HOURS THIS WEEK

Saturday, May 18th: 4-6pm - JOIN US to plant (you can help pick WHAT we plant!), paper and mulch (an organic approach to keep the weeds down) and weed (make room for the good stuff)!! Remember, students can earn community service hours and have fun while they do it!

JOIN US IN THE GARDEN - ADOPT AN HOUR (OR TWO)!

Every week/weekend, there is something to do - and no gardening experience is required, just a willingness to help our young people and the broader Arlington community!

Can you lend a hand to keep the garden going?

Can your family, book club, Girl/Boy Scout troop, sports team, neighborhood block,
church/synagogue/mosque, play group, work department, club, youth group, etc.
adopt a time slot to dedicate in the garden?

You pick the date and time from May through October and the Jefferson Garden Committee

will provide "know-how," tools and tasks (you can even choose “what” – plant, harvest, weed, thin, water…LOTS of options!). This is a rewarding and fun way to spend time with family, friends and soon-to-be-friends; earn community service hours; model the value of healthy choices and community building; get some exercise…!

Remember, a portion of the garden's produce goes to the Arlington Food Assistance Center
in support of its "Plot Against Hunger" program - nearly 800 pounds of produce has been donated to AFAC!

Sign up today! Contact Marney Michalowski, marney.michalowski@verizon.net.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE GARDEN? (Note: New Date!)

Share your input on how students, teachers, staff and families can use the garden! In January, the Jefferson Garden was awarded a $13,000 Park Enhancement Grant (PEG). With the funds, benches will be replaced, an improved entrance into the garden will be established and creation of a master plan for the garden and surrounding area will be developed. We will being this planning process with a "design charette" to generate ideas and build support among faculty, staff, students, families and community. The design charette will be held on Sunday, June 9th from 3-5p at the Jefferson Garden. All students, families, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate!

What are your fond memories of spending time outside? Do you know how the fruits and vegetables you eat grow? How can the garden enhance learning? How can the garden serve our school and broader communities?

During the charette we'll think about all of these things and more! We'll be lead by Nancy Striniste of Earlyspace, LLC - a former teacher, an Arlington mom, and Landscape Designer who will help us all reconnect to nature and better understand how it can serve physical, social, emotional and academic health. There is great potential in and around our garden and we hope to create a plan that serves our young people, our families, our school and our community. Come on June 9th with ideas or just listen - but please come! Please RSVP here and let us know how many in your family will join us!

See the PTA Support Letter sent in support of Jefferson's PEG application, and view Patty Adair's presentation to the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation PEG committee.

THE RAIN BARREL RETURNS TO JEFFERSON

THANK YOU to the following Jefferson families – Smaragdis/Riris, Williams, McSweeney/Rafky, Hinkson, Michalowski, Adair, Black, Lane, Campany and Hill! With your generosity we had the winning bid at the GMU rain barrel auction and the Jefferson barrel has returned to Jefferson! Stop by and check it out – it sits against the school (theater wall), across from garden. THANK YOU to Arnold Appanah, Facilities Manager, for its quick installation!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO START OUR INTERNATIONAL GARDEN AT INTERNATIONAL NIGHT!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Garden/Environment Table to plant a number of “international” seeds (think bok choy, mizuna, cilantro) during Friday's International Night (April 26). These will be transplanted into an area designated the “International Garden.” We have a great start and everyone seemed to enjoy learning fun facts about these adopted herbs and greens!

LETTUCE4LUNCH RETURNS

Following the very popular Lettuce4Lunch event held last year (can you say "may I have a 12th helping?!"), we're doing it again! The planter at the front of the school is host to lots of lettuce seeds so keep an eye out for your future lunch. If all goes (or grows!) well, students and staff will be offered free salad at lunch in mid-June!

USDA CHOOSES JEFFERSON TO JOIN ITS RESEARCH TEAM TO STUDY HARLEQUIN BUGS

The Jefferson Garden has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to participate in its Harlequin Bug Trap Project - a great hands-on-learning opportunity! Harlequin bugs devastated many crops (including some of ours) last year – they’re cool looking, but not friendly to farmers! Don Weber, a USDA Research Entomologist and Jefferson supporter, has placed four “trap” plants (collards) laced with pheromones extracted from Harlequin bugs, in various places around the garden. The idea is any Harlequin bugs visiting the garden will be attracted to the “trap” plants, thereby, saving our real crops! Students in Mr. Golden's 7th Grade Life Science class are checking the plants on Tuesdays and Fridays for activity, collecting the visible bugs and phoning in the data (number and gender) to USDA. So far, the trap plants ARE attracting the bugs! We’re thrilled to have this opportunity for some fun, hands-on learning and contribute toward valuable research!

HEALTHY FAMILIES FUN FAIR -- A Great Success!
THANK YOU to everyone who joined the fun on February 10th - nearly 400 of you participated! The PTA Garden Committee kicked off Jefferson's innaugural Healthy Families Fun Fair for Jefferson families and our extended community. We had an exciting mix of activities -- cooking demonstrations and tastings, martial arts, Zumba, fencing, track and field events, hearing and blood pressure screenings, moon bounce, rock climbing... THANK YOU to our fabulous partners who donated their time and resources -- FitArlington, Arlington Teen Office, Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation, Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), Arlington County Department of Human Services, Parent Resource Center, Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families, The Outdoor Lab, Buyers and Renters Arlington Voice (BRAVO), Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Whole Foods, Arlington Career Center's Jr. Air Force ROTC, Arcadia Farms, Simplicity Healthcare, One More Page Books, Creative Martial Arts, Journey Yoga, NOVA Senior Women's Basketball, Verve Boot Camp, Potomac Valley Track Club, Pentagon Mixed Martial Arts, Creative Kids Kitchen LLC, Arlington Fencer's Club, Senior's Flash Mob and Zumba with Ingrid. THANK YOU, too, to Dr. Violand-Sanchez, APS Board Chair; Dr. Patrick Murphy, APS Superintendent; Walter Tejada, Arlington County Board Chair; and Noah Simon, Arlington County Board Member for joining us!