Gordon auction to raise funds for garden

Kids love to play outside, dig in the dirt and watch things grow. With that in mind, this year’s Gordon Elementary School Spring Fling Auction will raise money to create a garden and composting center at the school.

“Plant a Seed” is the catch phrase the Gordon PTA is using to describe the new center’s goals – to literally plant seeds in fertile ground, educate children in natural science, and provide a serene garden setting for quiet meditation, reading, writing, drawing and painting. As the plants and flowers grow, so will the students’ appreciation for nature and for cultivating one’s own flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

“We’ll be teaching the kids to grow and care for organic crops and plants,” said fifth-grade teacher Mel Gallup, who is spearheading the “Plant a Seed” project. “Then we’ll be taking food waste and composting it to use in the garden. In this way, we close the recycling loop.”

The Kingston Garden Club, which hosts the annual Blanche Gray Garden Show at Gordon each September, is pleased about the PTA’s commitment to “Plant a Seed.”

Club president Annika Mungy said, “We get really excited about

Gallup already is teaching his students about composting. He has a neat and virtually odor-free worm bin set up in the center of his classroom. Students, he said, are fascinated with the process.

“With our larger garden project, we’ll have an arboretum effect,” Gallup said. “We’ll be able to meld the outdoors, science, and art. And it will be good for the kids to have a place to go that is attractive and peaceful. So much of their world is electronics and the constant stimulation of TV and computer games. They become a product of that rapid environment. This garden will help them get back to nature. What kid wouldn’t love an outdoor classroom?”

In fact, scientific studies indicate that horticultural activities may have a beneficial effect on a person’s psychological well-being. The “Plant a Seed” project may benefit the community too, as Gallup said some of the harvest could be donated to those in need.

Gordon’s Spring Fling Auction, the primary source of income for the PTA, features a new twist this year. In addition to the very popular live event, there is an online auction.

The online auction opened March 14 at www.GordonAuction.cmarket.com and closes at noon April 11, the day of the live Spring Fling Auction. Go to the site to see and bid on auction items, donate items, donate to “Plant a Seed,” and purchase tickets to the Spring Fling. The PTA hopes the online auction will increase participation in the annual fundraiser because it will allow family and friends of Gordon students to get in on the action anytime no matter where they live.

The Spring Fling Auction will be at the elegantly rustic Kiana Lodge. Tickets, which include dinner, drinks, and entertainment, are $35 per person. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. This year’s theme is Carnivale.

Auction items range from vacation getaways to student-created items guaranteed to delight and surprise. Proceeds will help Gordon Elementary PTA fund programs and equipment for staff and students.

“Plant a Seed” is this year’s Fund-An-Item segment of the evening. Last year, auction attendees and the community at-large gave generously to establish the school’s da Vinci Room. It is a portable classroom dedicated to the study of science and art and has been a boon to teachers and students, giving them space to experiment, create, and even get messy when needed.

Gordon Principal Claudia Alves said she thinks the “Plant a Seed” garden and composting center will work well with the goals of the da Vinci Room.

“The da Vinci room opened this school year and is used almost to capacity each and every day,” Alves said. “When it came time to find our Fund-An-Item this year the garden seemed like a way to bring all of this together.