Enthusiasm Grows in School’s Garden

Chandler Elementary School third-grader Daniel Cirone finished his social studies work a bit early on Wednesday. As a reward, he was given 15 minutes of hard labor in the school’s garden.

Actually, Daniel, 8, and classmates Brenda Martinez, Michael Jermakian and Samantha Kizito, all 9, like working in the garden. It’s where they want to be.

“It’s fun because it’s making the school prettier,” Brenda said.

“And we get to move rocks and branches out of the dirt,” said Daniel, no doubt finishing Brenda’s thoughts as the four students proudly displayed their soil-covered hands.

In fact, almost everyone at Chandler Elementary has gotten their hands dirty in the past month.

It all started when cafeteria manager Ethel Ramin decided flowers are prettier than dirt.

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t you rather have a nice garden instead of all this dirt?’ ” said Ramin, alluding to the school’s flower garden just outside of the main office. A month ago, flowers were absent in the perfectly squared off area of dirt surrounding a small tree.

Since then, the school, with the help of San Fernando High School students participating in the city’s Clean and Green program, parents and local businesses have all pitched in to create three flower gardens and a vegetable garden.

“It has transformed the school,” said Principal Barbara Thibodeau. “Now every teacher wants a garden near their classroom.”

The initial work was done by a group of students from the Clean and Green program in which students, on vacation from school, are paid for tending the city’s greenways, painting murals, and erasing graffiti.

“It’s more fun than most jobs,” said Jose Valadez, 14, a ninth-grader at the high school.

Local nurseries and agencies have also played a large part in the school’s green transformation, Thibodeau said. Green Arrow Nursery, Green Thumb Garden Center, Mel-O-Dee Garden Center, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps and the local YMCA have donated materials or worked the soil themselves.