Our Urban Garden to extend beyond PS 39!

Trish and Frieda extend their green thumbs toward the Park Slope community.

Trish does some Fall planting with Ms. Cassens Pre-K class

Winter is about to set in, yet spring is still in the air! It’s all thanks to the exciting expansion plans for our urban garden. After a successful first harvest (and the addition of an incredible cafeteria salad bar), Trish Mulligan and Frieda Lim are taking the garden to a higher ground.
“We want to reach out,” Trish says. “That was always our plan.”
The plan is to build alliances with other local schools and community organizations. The goal is to grow the garden beyond its current borders and involve neighbors outside the PS 39 universe.
Talks are in the works, and Frieda and Trish hope to have some more news soon.
 “Hopefully, Trish and I will nail this down in the next couple of weeks,” Frieda says, “to officially say there is an alliance.”

Fifth grader Oona with late Summer cucumber harvest

Expansion plans have stemmed as a result of the great reception to the garden from both students and parents. The initiative is to allow the kids to enjoy an interactive role in the foods they eat, and also to introduce them to healthier food choices.

“Here are these kids cramming over to taste basil,” Frieda says.  “And they loved the kale.”
The students’ enthusiastic response has even led them to visit Frieda’s roof, where she grows her own vegetables.

“The magic of growth has been planted,” Trish says. “The seed has been planted. I love [the kids’] reaction. It’s very rewarding, I have to say.”
Of course, we’ll keep you up to date on any future news blooming from our garden.

First year, end of Summer bounty

 -- Ron Sklar, PS 39 Reporter at Large

Dynamic Changes to the PS 39 Annual Book Fair!

Extended hours, an on-line component and a special guest make this PS 39 tradition extra special

Date:  November 17, 2011

Time: 8:30 am  -- 7 p.m.

Room: 103

Our annual Book Fair encourages our kids to read and raises much-needed funds for the school. This event is especially vital, since we lack a main library. Because of this, each classroom maintains its own collection of books.

Event co-chairs Maria Lord and Kristen Robb announce some exciting additions to the annual event:

• Extended hours:  to accommodate working moms and dads who may not be able to join us until early evening, the fair will be extended until 7 pm.
• On-line: if you can’t make it in person, you can go on-line to purchase books or make a donation. The website link will be revealed and available during the week of the sale.
• Guest Author Doreen Cronin!  At 6 p.m., beloved author Doreen Cronin will visit the cafeteria for a reading and a signing. She wrote such favorites as Duck For President, Click Clack Moo: Cow's That Type, Diary of a Worm and Rescue Bunnies. You can read more about her at her site.
• Parents can pre-order Doreen’s books in advance by filling out an order form on our  P.S. 39 site.

Call for volunteers: it’s still not too late to volunteer, for as little or as much time as you can spare. Volunteer jobs range from set up and displays on Weds, Nov 16th to book sales on Thurs, Nov 17th.  We also need a greeter at the front desk, as well as book and merchandise sales people, and clean up/packing crew.

If you're interested, please contact Maria Lord or co-chair Kristen Robb.

  --- Ron Sklar, PS 39 Reporter at Large