Catholic Schools Week: St. Sebastian students growing in science class

BELLE VERNON – New things are growing at St. Sebastian Regional Catholic School – lettuce, that is.

Upper grade science teacher Emma Cox this year added to her classroom a hydroponic farmstand that grows 24 varieties of lettuce and herbs, including parsley, cilantro, and romaine and butter lettuce, as well as some unique vegetables such as hot cakes stalk (an edible flower) and pomegranate crunch romaine.

“I’ve been excited to incorporate unique forms of learning into our everyday curriculum. Students are very eager to learn about the growth and the processes that make this happen,” Cox said.

The science of hydroponics is now part of their everyday classroom life. Sixth-graders are tasked with adding nutrients to the water to enhance the growing life of the seedlings. Students are learning about using a PH scale; each week one student tests and adjusts the PH of the water.

Fifth-graders are assigned seedlings, recording and observing changes weekly and comparing results with each other.

 “It is really cool to see how the plants change each week. It seems like overnight some of them grow sometimes,” said fifth-grader Jadynn Anderson.

Seventh- and eighth-graders oversee harvesting. The lettuce and herbs will be shared with students and staff.w

The science of hydroponics goes along with their lessons of photosynthesis and the knowledge of what is required for plants to survive. Just-sprouted seedlings arrive in the mail and are then planted in cups. Glow rings provide lighting essential for the plants to grow. A pump keeps plants constantly watered.

The farmstand is a fool-proof vessel that exposes students to gardening with ease, providing many different learning experience for students.