By Anna Skinner
Maple Glen Elementary School teaches its students the art of giving with an outdoor garden where the produce goes to aid Open Doors and other local food pantries. Last year, the garden donated approximately 800 pounds of produce, and bigger names in the community are beginning to take notice.
Paul Estridge, Jr., a homebuilder, and Jim Gapinski, president of Heartland Growers, donated an outdoor classroom and a greenhouse, respectively, to aid the school in its efforts.
“We will be utilizing both the outdoor classroom and the greenhouse in conjunction with each other and independently,” Principal Joe Montalone said. “The greenhouse will be used to plant seedlings for future plants we put and grow in our garden. We will utilize the outdoor classroom to assist in that endeavor, plus having hands-on scientific lessons performed in outdoor classrooms by all students.”
The greenhouse project began approximately two years ago, and shortly after, Estridge approached Montalone about donating the outdoor classroom to the school.
A ribboncutting ceremony for the greenhouse and the outdoor classroom will be held 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at MGES, 17171 Ditch Rd.
“I think both men and their families value and appreciate the experience that we are teaching our kids, the art of giving and working with their hands to produce fresh food that is given to people in our community that are in need,” Montalone said. “Paul wanted me to know the importance that his family puts on primary education and the elementary setting. Anything we can do to help our children grow and develop in those areas, plus learning some of those skills in the service orientation of giving back to the community, what better way than to model it yourself?”
