The New Jackson Street Greenhouse

The New Jackson Street Greenhouse

THE JSS GREENHOUSE IS BUILT! 

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The new JSS Greenhouse is built and beautiful and ready for the winter!  Classes took tours of our new space in early December, and there were lots of “Oohs” and “Aahs” on the part of children and adults alike.  In early spring we will add the finishing touches (ramp, stairs, fan and solar panel), and build raised beds for the plants we will begin to grow next spring!

 

The 18’ by 20’ greenhouse will extend the growing season and be able to accommodate an entire class of students!  Our indefatigable PTO raised more than $10,000 over a two-year period for the purchase and construction of the greenhouse, and raised additional funds on Giving Tuesday to cover the rest of the construction costs (join over 200 contributors here).  Many thanks to PTO Board Members Alyssa Richardson, Phil Mathews, Summer Cable, Gavin Grant, Sarah Moore, Jo Comerford, Julie Harvey Park, Pallavi Balaji and Alana Kaczmarek, and PTO members Scott Biddle and Liz Horn, for your leadership, time and commitment to this project!  And thank you to all the donors who contributed so generously to make it happen!

 

Our school is sooooooo grateful to the Greenhouse Garden Team for the many days and weeks spent building the retaining wall, preparing the site, and building the frame for the greenhouse.  Parents Scott Biddle, Chris Chamberland and Mike Charland-Tait spearheaded this effort and donated hours of their time to this project.  They were joined on various Saturdays and Sundays by many volunteers, including:  parents Chris Dole, Jared Kajka, Paul Fitzgerald, Jen Spencer, Matt Wool, Tom Benjamin, Kat Allen, Julie Harvey Park, Tricia Loomis, Marc Lussier, Johanna Radding, Marti Pomputius, Antonello DeMattia, Simon Hildt, Marissa Hoechstetter, Jordan Abbot, Justin Gianesin, Adil Elkalai, and first graders Rowan Chamberland, Salim Elkalai and Owen Fitzgerald; and teachers Nick Ames, Sarah Carlton, Katharine Walmsley, Kathleen Bredin and Mary Bates.

 

A very special thank you to builders Eric Payne (former JSS parent), John Lebhar and Ben Edmonds for their work in installing the drainage system for this site, and for raising the walls and roof of the greenhouse.  They worked three days straight last week to complete the greenhouse before the winter!

  

The JSS PTO has been a partner and strong supporter of the JSS Outdoor Garden Classroom program since 2010.  Our PTO members helped to create the garden, and have been involved in growing and sustaining the garden through the annual Harvest Festival, fall and spring Garden Work Days, and summer maintenance work. Thank you, JSS PTO, for making the new JSS Greenhouse a reality!

 

The JSS Garden Committee