Jan Baptist vegetable garden: instructive and tasty
On Friday, May 12, the vegetable garden of SO/VSO Jan Baptist in Spekholzerheide was festively opened. In the garden all kinds of vegetables, herbs and fruits are grown by the students and used in the school kitchen. The beds have been laid out in the shape of a tree, which symbolizes the growth of the students.
It all begins in the on-site plant greenhouse. The students thus see the entire process from seed to food and witness the growth of the plants. There are also fruit trees on the grounds, on which the children can watch the fruit grow from blossom to fruit. It is important for the students to see through that growth process so that they learn that broccoli, for example, does not come from the supermarket.
Delicious meals
The cook goes from the kitchen with the students to harvest vegetables and herbs and process the produce into tasty meals. The children currently receive a meal 3 days a week for 20 cents. Next year this will be expanded to 4 days a week thanks to an incentive budget from the municipality.
Caring for the garden
A teacher, a volunteer and a parent together have Health for the garden two days a week with groups of 5 students. This is always done in blocks, because the pupils' stress levels are not high. Pupils who go out to day care also work in the vegetable garden, for example by helping with hoeing and watering.
The summer period
During the summer vacations, the vegetable garden does not lie idle. Because this is precisely the time when there is a lot of harvesting, the summer school and Vital Limburgers also make use of the vegetable garden then. Colleagues also come to school during this period to hoe and water.
The vegetable garden was created thanks to contributions from Rotary Landgraaf, Lions Kerkrade and the municipality of Kerkrade.