Notre Dame Green Team works to make school a beautiful place

By MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Morinville – Notre Dame Elementary School’s Green Team hit the ground running Wednesday afternoon, working hard to make their school grounds a beautiful place while learning about the environment and the value of plants in the process.

Green Team members from Grades 1 to 3 assisted school Principal Greg Lamer, Grade 1 teacher Nadine Trenchard and Mike Poirier from Home Hardware in planting the plants the local business donated to the school’s new playground patio area.

Principal Greg Lamer said the school’s environmental beautification began last year with an indoor garden located outside the school’s gymnasium, expanded this year to an outdoor vegetable garden at the side of the school, and has continued on with the recent outdoor patio area made possible with a$5,000 centennial grant from the Town of Morinville.

That school beautification project officially opened Sept. 8 with a ribbon cutting ceremony with Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi and members of council.

Although it will be a few years before the tree planted Wednesday afternoon will provide shade or before the Saskatoon berry bushes will provide fruit, Notre Dame students are having a great time being stewards of the environment in general and their school’s environment in particular.

One Green Team member enjoying gardening is Grade 2 student Ana Bochar. “It’s fun being in the Green Team,” Miss Bochar said. “I like getting my hands dirty.”

Students certainly had the chance to get their hands dirty Wednesday afternoon. The school’s firm ground required plenty of water to soften it up. But the students and staff persevered and got their plants planted and their school yard just a little bit greener for all to enjoy.