NAHANT — The Johnson Elementary School (JES) has launched its “buy a brick” fundraiser to help raise funds to complete the construction of the new greenhouse.
In January, an anonymous donor gave the school $80,000 to build a state-of-the-art greenhouse for the students, with plans to locate it near the school’s garden. Superintendent Rob Liebow said that while the $80,000 was a major step in getting the greenhouse, further funding is still required to complete the project.
“We have been extremely fortunate to have received a very generous $80,000 anonymous donation to purchase the greenhouse kit and get the project up and running, to begin programming at the beginning of the new school year,” Liebow said. “Our students will learn sustainability practices and other vital lifelong skills by growing produce for the JES cafeteria, the local food bank, and running their own farmer’s market.”
For any community members interested in helping out, the engraved bricks cost $100. Liebow said $82 of that will go toward funding the ancillary costs of the greenhouse project, including pouring the concrete slab, erecting the structure, establishing utility hookups, acquiring raised garden beds, and startup soil and supplies.
Each brick can be engraved with a message that supports the students or memorializes a loved one. Liebow explained that the plan was to have the bricks laid out into a walkway that leads up to the greenhouse, behind the library and the gymnasium area.
So far, Liebow noted the school has currently sold 23 engraved bricks, and aims to hopefully sell around 500 in order to help fund the next steps of getting the greenhouse up and running.
One brick that Christopher Costello had engraved reads: “EYES FULL OF SUN, HANDS FULL OF SEA.”
To learn more about the fundraiser, Liebow emphasized that getting involved has never been easier. Residents can visit the Johnson School webpage at https://www.johnsonschool.org/en-US, where a donation tab can be seen in the top left-hand corner.
