It began as a simple thought. Webster School kindergarten teacher Lorraine Irizarry had been teaching her students how to grow vegetable seeds in her classroom.
“But I always wondered what it would be like to have a real garden,” Irizarry said. “I always wanted them to be able to bring their plants outside and watch them grow.”
An obstacle to that goal is the surrounding area around Weehawken’s Webster School, a concrete jungle. There is an asphalt courtyard and concrete sidewalks and structures, but there is no available free soil to grow vegetables from seedlings.
Two years ago, the state Department of Education mandated a program called Character Development in Education, which was designed to promote a better awareness of respect for the child’s self, others and the community, as well as traits like honesty and integrity.
Irizarry thought the Character Development in Education program would be a perfect way for her school to acquire places to grow plants and flowers.
She thought the school could build flower boxes, rather than planting outside.
The boxes could help to beautify the school, teach the children how to grow plants and flowers, and serve as a community action, bringing children, teachers and parents together to work on the same project.
“It was absolutely a great idea,” said Weehawken Superintendent of Schools Kevin McLellan. “Mrs. Irizarry deserves a special commendation for all the effort she put forth in getting this off the ground. When she came to us and told us what she wanted to do, we thought it was a terrific idea.”
Irizarry first met with the members of the Webster School Parent-Teachers Association and told them of her plan to build flower boxes. She told the PTA she would need volunteers to help construct the boxes.
Albert Cabrera, who has a son in Webster School and another who attends Weehawken High School, approved.
“When Mrs. Irizarry presented the plans to us, I think we were all for it,” Cabrera said. “Having children, I think it’s important to teach them moral values and character. It shows them how the community can get involved and do things together. It shows them how people can respect each other and work together.”
Irizarry received some funding from the state’s grant to develop the program, but she also solicited donations from Home Depot in Secaucus, which provided some building materials.
A group of approximately 20 parents met at the school every Saturday during October to build four wooden boxes that are 16 feet long, four feet wide and 20 inches high.
Once the boxes are totally completed, each student will plant a perennial bulb, like tulips to bloom in the spring, as well as other red, white, and blue perennials to give the flower beds a patriotic flair.
Other bulbs will be planted in the spring to bloom in the fall, so flowers will be flourishing in the boxes all year round.
One of the boxes will feature vegetables, the idea that was the genesis of the project. “I couldn’t let the project slip by without being able to have the garden,” Irizarry said. “We’ll grow tomatoes and peas to start.”
Irizarry said that she’s excited about the project. “I feel really proud and I was so happy that there were so many other people who were willing to jump right in,” she said. “But they said that they were happy to be there. I think when it’s done, it should be very nice.”
Cabrera agreed. “We had a nice turnout. We had people from different backgrounds, different races, all getting together to get the boxes done. When you do something good, you always get something back.”
McLellan said the project was a rousing success and will be for years to come. “It really was a win-win situation for us,” McLellan said. “The parents and teachers got involved to build the boxes and now the children will get together to plant the flowers and vegetables. It’s a wonderful program and project.”