- March 1, 2025
Fourth-graders at Osceola Elementary School sunk their hands into soil this week, to learn about gardening.
BY EMILY BLACKWOOD | STAFF WRITER
Osceola Elementary School teacher Alan Canetti changed up his normal fourth-grade classroom routine to teach his students how to grow their own food.
The gardens, set up right outside the classroom, are homes to veggies like red bell peppers, lettuce, eggplant and the infamous "Snod Pickle": a name chosen by the students for unknown reasons.
"As we've discovered there are a lot of kids who haven't planted anything and many of the vegetables we planted the kids have never tried before," said Canetti. "We try to expose the kids to as many new experiences as possible, even if their parents aren't exposing them to it. It's all a part of the learning education."
And the kids are more then willing to try new things, even if it is leafy, green and good for you.
"I learned that gardening is a lot of fun," said fourth-grader Daniel Sjoblom. "You're actually helping the earth."
"Instead of watering the leaf you should water down where the roots are," said classmate Skylar Ray.
Canetti also plans on showing his studens how to grow different crops during different seasons and how to experiment with soil.
"The pride as they see the results of their hard work," said Canetti. "Watching the plants grow, they've just been really excited."
