What started as a clean-up project has grown into a club where Logan students can go to get their hands dirty.
“Rooted” is the garden club advised by Ms. Cross who teaches Life Skills, and Ms. Kala, who teaches AP Environmental Science and Biology. The club meets on Thursdays after school in Ms. Cross’ classroom, 201. Ms. Cross started it years ago after she stopped coaching basketball.
“I had all this time on my hands, and the staff lounge had a garden area that was just a bunch of weeds,” Cross said. “So I got some kids together and we ripped it all up, and we beautified it. It just kind of naturally became garden club after that.”
The plans this year are up to the kids. The first big project is building a greenhouse on September 22. The students run the club and pitch their ideas for the garden club.
“They’re wanting to go in a little bit different direction this year and that it’s not all gardening,” Cross said. “They want to reach out to our community and help others any way they can.”
Ms. Kala is collaborating on the more scientific side of gardening, making sure that it’s sustainable and that their garden can continue to flourish.
“I want my students to come in, sort of see the scientific aspect of things,” Kala said. “You know, what can we do to help them scientifically in the garden? Can we prepare the soil? Can we make sure the waters clean and all chemically tested.”
Senior and Co-President Brigett Diaz is excited to see how the club will grow.
“I was with my friend and she was in this club, so I decided to join. Honestly my mom and I sometimes garden at our own house. It was nice to plant food, and it was cool to see something built,” Diaz said.
As one of the Co-Presidents, Diaz plans to “go with the flow” and make sure that the group stays connected. She has been in the garden club for about two years.
Sophomore Angelica Perez joined “Rooted” last year. “I joined it the first time because I had Ms. Cross as my first semester Life Skills teacher, and it sounded like a cool place to hang out and spend time with friends and do something that’s good for the school,” Perez said.
Perez ended up staying because of the very things she hoped would be there. This year Perez is serving as the Secretary.
“I’m hoping I can actually learn some knowledge about plants because I don’t really know anything about them. I hope I can have a strong bond with the people that are in here,” Perez said.
Sophomore and co-president Sukhmani Kaur was in the garden club last year as well. Kaur shared many of the same sentiments as others in the club.
“I feel like the concept of this club is really inspiring to help around the community; to go and clean up the beach, help the elderly with gardening and kids in elementary school. We have really good and high hopes for this club,” Kaur said. “I feel like we can make a change in this community, and we can spread out and inspire other people to join this club.”
