This Spring, the School installed a greenhouse behind the Gym as a way of supporting the Science curriculum, particularly Plants Sciences and Environmental Science. The new greenhouse is currently being used by the Upper School 8th Period class Plants Sciences to explore soil properties, seed germination, and growth patterns of various plants. As part of the lesson, the class started growing vegetables and various herbs—such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano—to contribute to the Food Science class and their recipes next year. The current Plants Science students were instrumental in helping to set up the greenhouse, which included the installation of an automatic watering system and tables for the plants.
Following Spring Break, Windward students were very excited to be able to harvest their first crop of vegetables and to make a salad containing various lettuces, arugula, French radishes, and green beans. In the near future, students will be able to harvest tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, and strawberries!
"Now that the campus has this new facility, the Science department plans to incorporate activities that will allow all grade levels to explore and experiment with growing plants.," said Biology teacher Erin Borgstrom. "The Windward greenhouse will help expand students' botanical knowledge and healthy eating habits for many years in the future!"