Sippican Elementary School

16 Spring Street
Marion, MA

Sippican School Garden June 2009

"In 2005, two mothers, Lisa Durr and Leigh Neal, got together and came up with an After Class Enrichment program- “Come Garden with us”. Lisa and Leigh combined forces with their family members, friends and the Marion Institute to make the garden a reality. Presently there are 6 beds filled with herbs, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, flowers, and a strawberry planter. There is a composter that will be used to demonstrate the value of weeding and creating compost for next year. Future plans include extending the growing season with a greenhouse or cold frames, planting a butterfly garden, fruit trees, and a pumpkin patch. An afterschool garden club has been organized (and now has a waiting list for participants) and met during the fall and spring to plant and tend to the crops. The garden can be used as a teaching tool where children learn about the connection between what they eat and where it comes from. The ultimate goal is to make eating well appealing to kids by involving them in the miracle of seeing a cucumber grow from a small seed."
- Diane Cook, 3rd Grade Teacher 

This garden hits home!

Dear Mrs. Cook,

This weekend I had the pleasure of working in my kitchen with my 3rd grade daughter. She was eager to practice cutting potatoes and mincing herbs with a really sharp knife. We were making a bean soup, using the herbs and vegetables that she brought home from the Sippican School’s garden club.

I wanted to take a minute to thank you for your effort and dedication to the school’s garden and to the experiential learning that takes place outside of the classroom. Such experiences extent a child’s curiosity and demonstrate how what is learned in school can be applied to real-life, tangible situations. My daughter was very excited to understand the connection between planting, growing, harvesting, cooking and eating! Many thanks for inspiring her to be creative and fostering a slow-growing interest in eating vegetables.

Sincerely, Alex Tolischus (Parent of Sippican Elementary School Student)

The Marion Institute's Role
We are simply connectors, brainstormers, record keepers and resource generators. The true credit goes to all below:

Thank you to the Teachers, Students, Administration and Community Members.

If you have questions about the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School Seed to Table Program or would like to contribute to the school's wish list, please contact Zoe Hansen-DiBello at 508.748.0816 or email zoe@marioninstitute.org.

If you would like to help support the goals of the Sustainability Education Initiative, please donate here.

Donate by mail
Please make checks made payable to the "Marion Institute" with "Sustainability Education Initiative" noted in the memo line and send to:

Sustainability Education Initiative
c/o Marion Institute
202 Spring St.
Marion, MA 02738

Ph: 508.748.0816
Fax: 508.748.1976

Zoë Hansen-DiBello
Sustainable Education and Youth Coordinator
zoe@marioninstitute.org