Schools
NJ Agricultural Society Awards Gardening Grant to Tamaques School
The school gets a Green Thumbs Up!
The New Jersey Agricultural Society has awarded its “Learning Through Gardening” grant, demonstrating the school’s continued emphasis on good nutrition and the district’s wellness initiative.
The grant will enable Tamaques to expand its pre-existing garden to include participation for students in first through fifth grade. The garden had previously been used only by second-grade students, but the school’s reputation was enough to garner the state organization’s attention.
“Your forward-thinking plans and enthusiasm for integrating agriculture into your school’s curriculum are admirable,” society member Suzanne Macauley said.
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School officials hope that the garden expansion will encourage students to include more fruits and vegetables in their diets, to learn more about the science of gardening and to appreciate the labor that goes into planting and maintaining a garden.
In addition to expanding the garden, the funds will be used to purchase supplies for gardening, provide professional development for teachers and pay for consultations with master gardeners.