Trinity students grow schoolyard edibles

There is a growing movement in the United States to reform the way children think about their school lunch and the students at Trinity School are joining the revolutionary wave of thinking.

Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation pioneered efforts to incorporate the “Edible Schoolyard” concept into classroom curriculum. The idea is that many subjects can be taught through planning, planting, cultivating, harvesting, preparing and eating food. Life science, biology, math and home economics are subjects that can be easily translated through the “Edible Schoolyard.”

For a third consecutive season Moore Farms and Friends have helped Trinity School maintain its ‘Edible Schoolyard’ garden. Every year there are three plantings: spring, summer and fall. Last fall, the students planted broccoli, Red Russian Kale, Rainbow Swiss Chard plants and sowed carrot and mixed lettuce seeds.

More than 500 students participate in growing and eating the vegetables. Each class takes turns preparing the soil, planting and mulching, as well as watering and weeding the garden. When it came time to harvest the lettuces and greens, the students delivered the produce to the school cafeteria. The whole school ate the vegetables for lunch the next day.

A committee is forming at Trinity to plan for further curriculum involvement for coming seasons, spearheaded by Cissie White, director of environmental education.

Both city high schools on state AP Honor list

Georgia Superintendent Kathy Cox recently announced that nine Fulton County high schools—including the two in Sandy Springs—are “AP Honor Schools.”

Eight Fulton schools are “AP Merit Schools,” a distinction recognizing those with at least 20 percent of students taking AP exams and with at least half of those exams receiving a score of three or higher. Alpharetta High School, Centennial High School, Chattahoochee High School, Milton High School, North Springs High School, Northview High School, Riverwood High School and Roswell High School are among a list of 23 Georgia schools achieving that status.

Advanced Placement classes and exams are administered offer rigorous college-level learning options to high school students. Scores range from one to five; students achieving a three, four or five on AP exams are eligible for college credit or may be exempt from introductory college courses.

Atlanta Girls’ teachers receive service award

Two Atlanta Girls’ School (AGS) teachers, Bradley Cartwright and Kerry Smith, have received the 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award from the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School of Emory University.

The award recognizes members of the community who raise awareness of social injustice, speak on behalf of justice, celebrate diversity and impel action in building a better future for all mankind. Cartwright and Smith jointly received the award in the “Innovation for Change” category. The “Innovation for Change” award specifically recognizes individuals that apply innovation and creativity to address societal issues.

Cartwright currently teaches world studies at AGS. Smith currently teaches history at AGS.

Riverwood High hosts Spanish College Night

Riverwood High School is hosting Noche de Universidades (College Night) on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at Riverwood in Sandy Springs, GA.

All Spanish-speaking Fulton County high school students are invited to attend. This event will be conducted entirely in Spanish for prospective Latino college students and their parents.

The evening will begin with a brief 20-minute panel discussion by several local college recruiters, followed by a question and answer session for parents and students. Following the meeting, the panelists and other colleges will provide additional information at their tables about their schools.