Homer Alaska - Letters

We are excited about the arrival of our school greenhouse at Paul Banks Elementary School and the potential fun and learning for our students.

We would like to thank the sponsors of our greenhouse project: The Homer Garden Club, Spenard Builders Supply, Paul Banks PTA, Al Poindexter and Anchor Point Greenhouse, Jim and Linda Reinhart, Steve Gibson, The Alaska Division of Agriculture, Homer High School Shop Program and Homer VISTA Volunteer Ben Zimmerman.

We anticipate that gardening will help our students master science concepts about plant life and increase students' nutrition knowledge and encourage a preference for vegetable snacks by planting, nurturing and harvesting some vegetables. At the beginning of April, we planted some fast-growing and cold-tolerant vegetables that will be harvested at the end of the school year. Some of our students will plant vegetable seeds that will grow over the summer months, tended by volunteers. We plan to harvest these vegetables when students return in the fall.

Thank you again to our sponsors for their part in making this gardening dream a reality.

Benny Abraham and Shere Baechler

On behalf of the students and staff

at Paul Banks Elementary School