Date: Fri 20-Jun-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-Sandy-Hook-Ed-Martino

Full Text:

Dear Ed... First Graders And Nurseryman Exchange Letters And Friendship

(with photos)

BY DOROTHY EVANS

Ed Martino, co-owner of the Newtown Farm and Garden Center, has made 17 new

friends this spring - the students in Sandy Hook teacher Jackie McMahon's

first grade.

A mutual admiration society of sorts between Mr Martino and the children began

as the result of a shopping trip Mrs McMahon took to the nursery at 105 South

Main Street just before Mother's Day.

She needed potting soil for her class to plant the tree seedlings they had

gotten from the Conservation Commission to bring home as Mother's Day gifts.

When Mr Martino found out why she needed the soil, he gave her a big bag free

of charge. He also gave each of the children orchids for their mothers, as

gifts to go along with the tree seedlings.

"When I showed the children the orchids and told them about Mr Martino, they

were thrilled. That's when we decided we should write `Mr Ed' special

thank-you letters," Mrs McMahon said.

The children wanted to respond to his kindness, and Mrs McMahon saw this as a

perfect opportunity to reinforce a concept the class had discussed in language

arts called "writing for a reason."

Of course, the children's letters included plenty of questions.

What's it like owning a plant nursery?

Is there a plant inside the seed?

Could my mother grow blueberry pie in her garden?

What's your favorite flower?

What's the name of those flowers that climb up walls, the blue ones?

Did Jack And The Beanstalk raise his own beans?

And Mr Martino answered every one with a personal reply, printing in big round

letters so they could read them easily. He included drawings to illustrate

what he'd said.

Classroom Visit

After watching the correspondence develop, Mrs McMahon decided the class

should meet Mr Martino "in person."

On June 2, he came to Sandy Hook.

"Hey, buddies, what's up?" Mr Martino said as he walked into the classroom. He

was accompanied by Garden Center co-owner Carmel Latella, and he had come

bearing gifts - a large flat that was jam-packed with healthy young pumpkin

seedlings.

His broad smile and the children's delighted greetings showed that, already,

there was affection and respect between the two.

"These are pumpkin plants. I want you to take them home and plant them. Give

them plenty of sun and water them a lot," Mr Martino said.

Then he sat down on the floor and talked with the children, happy to place

faces with names that he'd already known from their letters.

They discussed a lot of things, such as the weather, the coming summer

vacation, where the children might plant their pumpkins, why they should stay

away from poison ivy, and whether or not their mothers and grandmothers liked

the orchids.

He told them he might be displaying their letters in his nursery shop, and

they said they would come down and see him when school was out.

As Mr Martino and Ms Latella were leaving, the conversation was still going

on. Now they were talking about basketball the hockey.

"Michael Jordan. Yeah, he's the best. But I like the Rangers, too," Mr Ed was

heard to say, as his friends crowded around him, following him to the door.