Do the Right Thing: Keep it
Clean and Promote School Pride
by Going Green! Part One
Chevron’s Power of Student Energy
Grant –City of Bakersfield
Keep Bakersfield Beautiful
Rosann Wattonville
Freedom Middle School
Jan. 31 to May 31, 2011
$500 Grant from Air & Waste
Management Association
• This project began with a $500 Grant from Air &
Waste Management Association to Rosann
Wattonville, science teacher, at Freedom Middle
School for the Project: Do the Right Thing!
Keep it Clean and Promote School Pride by
Going Green!
Freedom Middle School
11445 Noriega Rd, Bakersfield, CA
93312
Ryan Wattonville’s Eagle
Scout Project
Ryan Wattonville, Mrs. Wattonville’s
son, decided for his eagle scout project
to get the garden going at Freedom
Middle School. He came up with a plan
to build square foot gardens with an
irrigation drip system.
• 6/14/10-He measured the garden and
“before”photos were taken.
•8/09/10-He spoke to principal Chuck
Monaco, new principal at FMS about the
square foot garden project.
“Before” Photos of FMS
Garden
Ryan Wattonville planned the
FMS Square Foot Garden Project
•8/19/10 spoke to his scout master,
Chris Eicher
•8/09/10 spoke to his committee
chairperson, Mike Clark
•8/28/10 wrote letter to Home Depot
for a discount for the square foot garden
materials
•8/28/10 spoke to Home Depot
Manager Duran, about donation for
supplies and he priced supplies at the
store
•8/30/10 bought 4x4 sq.. Ft. garden kits
and supplies
•8/27/10 spoke to Gina Moore, FMS
campus supervisor and Chuck Monaco,
Principal at FMS about getting a garden
gate key to FMS
Planning for Clean up of FMS
Garden Area
•For the work day a list of supplies and
equipment were brought to FMS for the
clearing the area
•Organizers, leaders, and volunteers
brought garden equipment and square
foot garden kits to clean up and clear the
area
Eagle Scout Work Days
•Ryan sent out an email to his troop and
it was announced at his troop meetings
that a work day was planned to cleared
the garden area of weeds and trash.
•Troop members signed up to attend
•Mrs. Wattonville had a sign up of her
students to help with clean up via the
Roots and Shoots Club
•Ryan planned the clean up of area with
FMS’ custodian, Jerry
First Work Day October 16, 2010
Area was Cleared of Weeds and Trash
Boy Scout Troop 484
Freedom Middle Science Class-Roots
and Shoots Club
Working as a Team the Area was Cleared
Breakfast Time
Encountered an Obstacle
Hornet’s Nest
Clearing Out the Nest
Hornet Nest
Gathered and Bagged Debris
Masks Were Needed for Flying Debris
Hauled Trash Off to Dumpster
Time for a Break
Thirsty Time
Finally- An Area Clean of Debris
Watered Area to Get Ready for Square
Foot Garden Kits
Area Ready for Square Foot Garden Kits
Lunch Time- Pizza
Assemblying Square Foot Garden Kits
Roots and Shoots Members
Learning How to Work a Drill!
Assemble Square Foot Garden Kits
Kits are Coming Together
Digging Trenches for Kits
Rock for Drainage of Kits Layed in
Trenches
Kits are Coming Together
At the Same Time Volunteers Were
Also Weeding Rose Garden Area
Learning How to Measure
Learning How to Use the Pick Axe
Ryan-Measuring Between Garden Boxes
Square Foot Garden Kits are All in Place
1st Work Day a Success!
October 16, 2010
• The square foot garden area was cleared of trash and
debris and an unexpected hornet’s nest.
• The ground was readied for the square foot garden
kits.
• The square foot garden kits were assembled and
four were put in place.
• Troop 484 troop members and their parents(several
of whom are Chevron Employees) along with FMS
Roots and Shoots Club members, their science
teacher, and the school’s custodian volunteered for
a total of 74.5 hours of service time.
Do the Right Thing: Keep it
Clean and Promote School Pride
by Going Green! Part Two
Chevron’s Power of Student Energy
Grant –City of Bakersfield
Keep Bakersfield Beautiful
Rosann Wattonville
Freedom Middle School
Jan. 31 to May 31, 2011
2nd Work Day for Ryan’s Eagle Scout
Project – October 23, 2010
• Researched soil mix to use in
square foot garden boxes
• We’ll use “Mel’s Mix”.
Developed by square foot
garden creator, Mel
Bartholomew. It has all the
nutrients, minerals, and trace
elements that plants need,
eliminating the need for
fertilizer.
Mel’s Mix:
▫ Simple formula
 1/3 blended compost
 1/3 peat moss
 1/3 coarse
vermiculite
▫ Mix equal parts of each
measure by volume, not by
weight
Mixing Equal Parts for Mel’s Mix, Which
is the Square Foot Garden Soil Mix
All Together Now!
Now, Shake it Up
Measure & Cut Weed Cloth to Lay in
Square Foot Gardens
Adding Water to Soften the Dirt to
Pound Down the Corner Pieces
Laying Down Weed Cloth in Boxes
Putting Mel’s Mix in Boxes
Begin Assembly of Drip Irrigation System
Weed Cloth is Now in All of the Boxes
Digging Irrigation Trenches
FMS Roots & Shoots Members Digging Trenches
Boy Scout Troop 484 Digging Trenches
Advice From FMS Custodian
Laying Out the Grid for the Square Foot
Garden
The Trench is Coming Along!
Irrigation Pipe is Glued and Assembled
and Ready to Lay Out in the Garden
Irrigation System is Branched to
Square Foot Gardens
Charlie Moe is Digging the Trench
The Irrigation Pipe is in the Trench
Now the Trench is Covered with Dirt.
While the Square Foot Garden is Being
Worked on, the Rose Garden is Being
Weeded Too!
The Trenches are Almost Covered.
Wow, Look at it Now!
The Grids are Placed on the Square
Foot Gardens, Now Mel says we can
call it a Square Foot Garden!
All Grids are in Place
Drip System is Connected to the
Irrigation Water Line
Roots and Shoots Members Add Some of the
Emitters during Lunch Time
The Second Work Day is Successful
October 23, 2010
• The last two garden kits were
assembled.
• Weed cloth was measured and
laid down in each box.
• The boxes were filled with
Mel’s Soil Mix.
• The grids for the boxes were
assembled and placed on each
box with velcro.
• The trenches for the water line
were dug one foot deep with a
pick axe.
• The PVC pipe was assembled,
glued together, and placed in
the trenches.
• The trenches were covered
with soil.
• Compression fittings were
connected to the PVC water
line leading to each box.
• Drip lines were placed in each
box and connected to each
compression fitting.
• A hose was connected to the
outside water line and turned
on to flush the system then the
admitters placed in position.
• The system was tested.
Eagle Scout Project is signed off by
Principal and Boy Scout Officials for
Ryan Wattonville, senior at Liberty High
School.
Do the Right Thing: Keep it
Clean and Promote School Pride
by Going Green! Part Three
Chevron’s Power of Student Energy
Grant –City of Bakersfield
Keep Bakersfield Beautiful
Rosann Wattonville
Freedom Middle School
Jan. 31 to May 31, 2011
Was Awarded Funding from Region 8
STEM Service-Learning Consortium
• Applied for and was notified Oct. 14, 2010 that
my class project, around energy conservation,
was selected to receive funding through the
Region 8 STEM S-L Consortium Grant.
California Regional Service-Learning
Network Program
• As a teacher-member of this
new consortium in Region 8
teacher will receive
• $750 stipend
• 3-day STEM training in
Rancho Cucamonga, Jan. 25,
26, 27, sub. Included
• 1-day substitute for
planning/preparation
• Resources from the CalServe
Team, Facilitator, and
Network
• Support in commitment to
using the service-learning
methodology
California Regional Service-Learning
Network Program
• Teacher Responsibilities
▫ Participate in following
STEM S-L Consortium
activities
 Nov. 4,2010-”meet and
Greet” videoconference
 Jan. 25 to 27, 2011-STEM
Teacher training, expenses
and sub. Costs covered by
Region 8 STEM S-L
Consortium grant
 March 2011-telephone
conference –Q & A progress
check, year closing status
 April/May-Regional
Sharing/celebrating of
outcomes
GATE Class Planted Their Seeds before
Christmas Break
During Christmas Break GATE Class Made
Observations and Nurtured Their Seedlings.
They recorded their observations in
their journals.
This experiment gave them a good idea for
what to plant in their Square Foot Gardens.
STEM Service Learning Conference
Jan. 25, 26, 27, Rancho Cucamonga
“Reducing Our Carbon Footprints—
Little Feats, Big Change”
California Regional Service-Learning
Network Program
• Assist building the STEM S-L
Team for the proposed project.
• Your team is one of 16 regional
STEM S-L Teams to consist of:
▫ STEM teacher from grades 6 12 integrating the servicelearning strategy as a
teaching and learning
strategy.
▫
▫
▫
▫
Students
A link to higher education
Community partner
Business partner and/or
mentor for the teacher
California Regional Service-Learning
Network Program
▫
▫
▫
▫
Students
A link to higher education
Community partner
Business partner and/or
mentor for the teacher
• Freedom Middle School 7th & 8th
grade students
• Some Troop 484 students are in
high school, including my son
Ryan Wattonville who is a
senior at Liberty High School
• Boy Scout Troop 484 of
Bakersfield
• Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots
Club who my students are a
members of and I’m the teacher
sponsor
• Some Chevron Employees
• Michael Figueroa, KernServe
Program Manager, Kern Co.
Supt. of Schools
STEM Service Learning Project
FMS Square Foot Garden Project
• Ryan Wattonville, for his eagle
scout project, along with Boy
Scout Troop 484 built and
installed six square foot
gardens along with a drip
irrigation system.
• Freedom Middle School
Students and students who are
members of Jane Goodall’s
Roots and Shoots Club worked
alongside Troop 484 to build
and install the square foot
gardens and the drip irrigation
system.
Saturday Work Days for Troop 484 Eagle Scout Project
Saturday, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm
• Boy Scout Troop 484
members and parents
worked alongside each
other putting in the
garden and drip
irrigation system
• Freedom Middle School
Roots and Shoots Club
members and some of
their family members, as
well as several FMS staff
members also worked
alongside the Troop
putting in the garden and
drip irrigation system.
Mrs. Wattonville’s 7th Grade Class
• All of Mrs. Wattonville’s students planned,
planted and made observations of their plants
growing in the square foot gardens.
▫ Students were divided in groups of four and each
group was assigned one square foot of garden
space to plant their seeds or seedlings.
Evelyn Volunteered from Her Social
Studies Class
• Evelyn, an 8th grader from Mr. Saindon’s Social
Studies Class worked all day during one of our
Saturday Work Days.
Saturday Work Days
Feb. 12 and Mar. 19, 2011 from 9:00 to 3:30 pm
• The Rose Garden and Square Foot Garden were
cleared of weeds
• Emitters were added to the drip irrigation
system and the square foot gardens were readied
for planting.
3rd Saturday Work Day Feb. 12, 2011
The Weeds Grew and Grew
Volunteer8th Grader- Evelyn
Clearing the Debris
Volunteer Gina (waving)
FMS Campus Supervisor
Volunteers – Principal Chuck and son
Working Together We Achieve More
Finally Clear of Weeds
Spraying for Weeds around the Square
Foot Garden Area
Now-We’ll Clear the Weeds in the Rose
Garden
Look at This Giant Weed
Volunteer Pedro and Aunt
Breakfast Break
Hauling Trash Off
3rd Saturday Work Day was Successful
Feb. 12 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
• It was a productive day of FMS Roots and Shoots
Members clearing the weeds in both the square
foot garden area and the rose garden area.
• Pedro and his mom worked the longest, until
4:00 pm helping us clear the area.
4th Saturday Work Day, March 19th, 2011
• Weeded, laid bark chips to control weeds, and
added emitters to drip system
Bulk Yard dropped off Wood Chips and
donated a wheel barrel
Roots and Shoots Student Volunteers
Chandler, Thun, and Christian
Volunteer Principal Monaco and his family
Jacob and Thun Load Up Trash
Volunteer FMS Staff-Gina and Valerie
Volunteer-Kathy, Life Skill Teacher
Volunteers- Gina and Brad
Together We Accomplish More
Finally, Clear and Ready for Bark
Scooping the Bark
Freedom Middle School Garden
Fertilizing the Roses
Spreading Bark Around Square Foot Gardens
Teamwork is Best for Getting it Done
Staff Working Together is Fun
Superman Helps
“Little Guys” Serving Others
Two Scoops Work best.
A Rake Works Great Too.
A Family Who Serves
Ryan Checks How His Eagle Scout Project is Going
Students Add the Emitters to the Drip
Irrigation System
Fruitvale Student, Grant’s Cousin, is
Weeding the Roses
Kristian Plants His ColeusScience Fair Project
He compared asexual and sexual
development when propagating plants.
Kristian did this by planting Coleus seeds and a
Coleus cutting then compared their growth.
Wow! It Looks Great!
First Plants to be Planted in Garden
NEXT – STUDENTS PLANT THEIR PLANTS
IN THE SQUARE FOOT GARDENS
• Students took a pretest over Standard 2, Ch. 5
and 6 on Genetics and the overall average was a
50%.
• Then Students studied the Chapter, researched
what to plant, how to plant, plotted their area,
and planted their seeds or seedlings in their 1” x
1” foot square foot garden.
• Students took a post test over Standard 2, Ch. 5
and 6 on Genetics and the overall average was an
80%.
Buying Plants at Lowes
GATE-Period 6
Period 6
Planting in the Garden
Period 1 Planting Their Gardens
Period 4 and Period 7
Period 7
Period 6
Period 6 and 8
Period 8 and Period 6
Period 8
Period 8 and Period 4
Gardens are Planted
Planted Gardens
The Rest of the Gardens
Rosann
The Square Foot Gardens are Planted!
Recent Garden Pictures
More Recent Pics of Garden
Chevron Power of Student Energy Grant
• I wrote an additional grant for a Chevron Power of
Student Energy Grant.
• This allowed me to buy the bark to put around the
square foot gardens, seedlings from Lowes that my
students planted, and refreshments for one of the
Saturday Work days.
• To help defer the costs, several students brought in
seed packets to plant.
• I didn’t have enough to buy a composter, a small
shed, items needed for communicating and
assessing or funds needed to develop a plot plan.
Plans for an Ongoing Project
• I plan to write another grant to buy the items
that I wasn’t able to buy.
• I’m in arrears and am hoping if there is
unclaimed grant monies that I might be able to
receive some of those funds.
My Students Love to Work in the
Garden
• My students ask every day if they can go to the
garden.
• When we do go to the garden we take our rulers,
and measure the growth and make observations
in our journals when we return to our classroom.
• We also water our plants with warm water that is
left in a bucket in our garden to help nurture our
plants along.
The Connections Students Make
• Students’ experiences growing plants helps them
in making connections and understanding what
they learn about genetics, structure and function
in living systems.
Thanks
• Thanks are extended to all of my students, their
family members, principal- Chuck Monaco and his
family, our campus supervisor Gina and her
husband Brad, our teachers, Betsy, Valerie, Kathy,
Melissa A. for donating the roses, our custodians,
especially Jerry for showing up on Saturdays, and
making sure the garden was watered, my son Ryan,
for completing his eagle project and building the
square foot gardens and putting in the drip
irrigation system for the square foot gardens, and
finally to my husband Tom for his continuing
support, expertise, but mostly for his loving
guidance.
Special Thanks to my Husband Tom
“Shoots”
“Shoots are weak,
but to reach the light
they can break open brick walls.”
as quoted from Jane Goodall
founder of the International
Service Learning ClubRoots and Shoots.