Revere school wins $4,200 grant for garden project

REVERE – Despite the piles of snow everywhere, thoughts at McKinley Elementary School are turning to spring as plans for a community garden get under way.The school has won a $4,200 grant from Revere on the Move, an organization that provides mini-grants to support projects which help make the city a healthier community, according to Principal Ed Moccia.”It will be located in front of the school,” said Moccia. “There are plans for a fence to enclose it. There?s not a lot of land but it’s enough to start.”Art teachers Kristen Green and site coordinator Charlie Giuffrida wrote the grant that Moccia said also ties in with the school’s focus on healthy eating. The garden will likely contain mainly vegetables. School lunch programs are required to provide more vegetables, which Moccia said has gone over with mixed results. He is hoping if students actually see their vegetables grow, they will be more willing to try them.”We want to provide students and families with a place where they can go and learn about healthy eating and get some physical activity,” he said.The location of the garden puts it right outside Green’s art classes. Moccia said between Green’s classes and students in physical education classes, the garden will be well tended.”We hope to have the kids maintain it,” he said. “We’re really excited about it.”Superintendent Paul Dakin said he was also thrilled with the grant. Dakin said the school has always done some sort of beautification project to the lone grassy area in front of the school.”There is blacktop on three sides of the building,” he said. “There is grass in the front and a little on the south side so it’s conducive to growing.”Moccia said each year a cleanup of the area attracts as many as 60 or 70 volunteers.”We’ve always had a great turnout,” he said.Dakin said he expects much more with the grant, however.”This will push them over the edge in terms of what they can do,” he said.This is at least the second large scale healthy living initiative the school has taken. Moccia said last year the school launched a walk-to-school program, which encouraged students who could to do so.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].