Newtown Middle School Fall Beautification Project
Newtown Middle School Fall Beautification Project
By Will Brooks
Vice President of the _Student Council
On Saturday, October 13, 11 members of the Newtown Middle School Student Council, three advisors, and a parent were hard at work. That Saturday was fall beautification day at the school. This is when members of the Student Council get together to clean up and replant gardens around the school. This particular Saturday, the council beautified one garden, which is located to the left of the entrance near the auditorium.
The volunteers started at 9 am and finished around 11:30 am. The group weeded the garden. Then the volunteers turned over the soil and pulled out all the roots so that fewer weeds would grow back. Next six inches of dirt was emptied out of the bed and put on the sidewalk so the remaining roots in the dirt could be pulled out. As the soil was dug out, bulbs from a previous beautification were discovered.
Bulbtone was sprinkled in the bed of dirt. Several different kinds of bulbs â tulips, daffodils and others that were found â were replanted. The dirt was shoveled back into the bed and more bulbtone was sprinkled in by parent volunteer George Silver. The dirt was packed down by stomping on it. After the dirt was all packed down, marigolds and other little bulbs were planted. Mulch was spread over the garden, finishing the dayâs work.
Beautification volunteers included: Will Brooks, Josh Tenenbaum, Dan Murdoch, Nathaniel Basch-Gould, Ann Hull, Lauren Busser, Lauren Morrissey, Elsa Gillis, Tory and Rachel Marlin, Zach and Mr Silver, Mr DeBenedetto, Mr Altenburger and Mrs Mulholland.
A special thanks is given to Mr Silver for his gardening expertise. He was the âgarden guyâ of the project. Thanks is also given to all the families who donated bulbs, especially Lisa Carroti and Carol Visgar from Fine Garden Design.
It was a great day to garden, eat donuts, and an opportunity for Student Council members to get to know each other better. The group looks forward to the spring beautification project.
The Student Council also donated $1,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for the families of victims of the terrorists attacks on September 11.