Horticulture

We strive to help our students connect to nature and the environment through a variety of ways. MSA’s Horticulture Program has been in existence since 2010. Ms. Jenna Patch started the program with the donation of a 30’ x 50’ greenhouse (hoop house structure) located on campus. In it we have seven 4’ x’ 8’ raised beds and irrigation. It has been used exclusively for our gardening program. In 2016, we realized that much of the gardening was being done by MSA’s middle school students while remaining community members did not have an opportunity to participate. During the fall of 2017 Lower Elementary students planned and built two raised beds behind their classroom! The program was expanded to include Upper Elementary the following year. The various levels help maintain the garden beds in the greenhouse as well as the Peace Garden.

MSA’s Horticulture Program strives to do the following:

• Provide healthy produce tastings for our school community
• Teach students responsibility through planning, implementation and maintenance of a garden program
• Help students to explore the environment through hands-on experiential education
• Learn gardening techniques for South Carolina
   

Currently, students from lower elementary to middle school are given the opportunity to participate in Horticulture class during their years at Montessori.
Lower and Upper Elementary students have Horticulture class every week. During this time students learn: what plants need to grow, plant life cycles, gardening, seed starting, plant care, composting, and more. The students put into practice the knowledge when deciding whether to recycle or compost different materials (paper, pencil shavings, food scraps, paper towels and napkins, etc.).

Middle School students have horticulture class once a week in addition to their committee time. Students can apply for a leadership position within our committees. The horticulture student manager oversees the campus recycling and composting program. They develop weekly work plans for class and committee time in addition to long term planning and budgeting of the horticulture program. 
 

If you are interested in supporting MSA’s gardening efforts in any, please contact the horticulture group at horticulture@msasc.org.

Our community and families have made large contributions to the Horticulture program through volunteer efforts, supplies and in-kind monetary donations.