ROYALSTON — Learning takes place in many forms at Royalston Community School, and it’s not always limited to the usual hours.
Seventeen students are engaged in the after-hours Garden Club, meeting weekly under the direction of second-grade teacher Christine Hoegen.
One of seven programs offered after school, the Garden Club gathers in the “backyard” of the school, where potting benches, also known as picnic tables, raised garden beds of rich loam and compost, and even a custom-built garden shed provide most of what is needed for productive gardening.
When Mother Nature cooperates, magic is the result, according to those involved.
Most recently, Hoegen led a seed-planting session with students comparing the size, shape and texture of seeds, discussing the optimum planting depth for the various seeds and then, planting the seeds.
Seeds for cold-sensitive plants were buried beneath potting soil in containers that can be sheltered in the unpredictable May weather. Seeds for tougher plants went directly into the beds. From the brightly-painted wooden sides forming the raised beds to the gambrel-roofed shed decorated with kid-painted and autographed vines, the club is all about students.
Club members will continue to plant, maintain and harvest produce through the end of the school year, according to Hoegen. Over the summer months, she and volunteer families will tend the garden beds and enjoy any produce that happens to ripen on their watch.
In the fall, when school reopens, the Garden Club will resume oversight of the gardens, and enjoy fresh vegetables as school snacks and with lunches.
Garden Club members are Amelie Killay-Rostock, Madilyn Hermes, Ayden Charron, Audrina Vincent, Trent Charron, Landon Cummings, Robert Farrow, Isla Burnham, Haily Webber, Alec Richards, Abbie Lacasse, Lacie hermes, Gage Charron, Maddison Blake, Logan Shortis, Noah Kapise and Sophia Corbin.
Other after-hours clubs at Royalston Community School this year are Bird Beaks and Toilet Paper Rolls with members of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust; Block-ED, a Minecraft project with Christopher Tamulevich; Walking with Ms. Mary, led by Mary Grutchfield; Spring Field Hockey, led by Emily Hall; Gym Jam with Jennifer Sonnabend; and Science Explorations with Linda Robinson and Jennifer Basso.
The Royalston Academy provided $1,500 for materials and personnel, and the Athol-Royalston Regional School District supplemented with funds necessary to continue teacher stipends to the end of each session. A number of community volunteers, including members of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, are involved.
Photographs from various club meetings may be seen at Royalston Community School and on the “Celebrating Schools in the Athol-Royalston Regional School District” Facebook page.