PETERSBURG — A budding botanist has planted a seed in the mind of the school board with his proposal to grow a gardening club from the ground up.
Chase Scalfaro, a sixth-grader at Upper Township Intermediate School who enjoyed participating in a gardening club at the primary and elementary schools, suggested the idea to the Board of Education during its reorganization meeting Jan. 6.
“Garden Club is a fun, active event for students in our school to go outside and touch grass instead of going home and playing with their iPad or laptop,” Chase said. “Really, it’s a brain break for the student’s mind and they can play and stuff.”
He said there would be many benefits.
“They can take it home and like make pizza or something, a salad,” he said. “We can plant flowers if we want and then we can make a fundraiser of it.”
Grace Traa, a teacher at Upper Township Elementary School who worked to secure a grant for the lower-grade garden club, said Chase was so passionate about it that it made her work harder.
“Chase is an amazing kid,” Traa said. “I was so sorry to lose him to the middle school this year. He is just the kindest-hearted kid you would ever meet and such a hard worker when it comes to the garden.”
Board of Education President Michelle Barbieri recommended Chase reach out to Traa about his idea.
“She would be a wonderful resource for you,” Barbieri said, noting there may be some grants available to get things started.
The Intermediate School has a greenhouse that is currently not being used. Chase took it upon himself to clean the trash out of it and review its condition.
Barbieri invited Chase to the board meeting Jan. 26 when the administrators and more members of the public would be present to see his presentation.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff