Charles Helmers Elementary School, located in Valencia, will present its new Garden Program to the student body in a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony taking place at Helmers on February 3 at 8:30 a.m. The event will celebrate the implementation of a Garden Curriculum into classes, as well as the completion of a Mural that was commissioned to accompany the space.

Efforts began last year when Helmers PTA won a $10,000 grant from organic seed company Seeds of Change, to start a Garden program. The Garden structures were built on a previously underutilized cement area, with help from the Lowes Heroes volunteer work crew.

Helmers has chosen to work with Lisa Ely and her Karden’s Garden School Garden Curriculum. Ely will lead the hands-on classes that will correlate with concepts the students are learning in their individual grade levels. While students are growing the basic ingredients of any good salsa or salad, they will also be fulfilling California Educational Requirements. Students will also have fun exploring companion planting configurations, experimenting with vinegar solutions to control weeds and discovering how much square footage it actually takes to grow a watermelon.

In addition to creating the curriculum, Ely is also a television documentary producer and an award winning author of the Kinder Gardens book series. Classes will cover topics including Dirt Basics, Seeds and Planting, Types of Vegetables, and Harvesting, and will begin on Monday, February 6.

Artist Elizabeth Rydall painted the mural that accompanies the Learning Garden. Her work is featured in a number of homes and local spaces in Santa Clarita, including the Academy of the Canyons, SCVi Charter School, The Paseo Tennis Club, and now Helmers Elementary.

For more information about Lisa Ely, please call her directly at 310.266.2935. For more information about Elizabeth Rydall, please visit her website http://eliry.website/