Life Skills class at LMHS hold first annual plant sale
by Stacy Bender
“I have to say, it was a beautiful sight to see it all come together,” shared Rebekah Barbour of her Life Skills Class efforts on Friday, May 7. “The students earned over $1,000! The proceeds will help us to sustain our program. Next year, we will be expanding our greenhouse to include growing plants which we will use to help support the school lunch program. We will grow items for the salad bar.”
The process leading up to this year’s inaugural Libby Middle/High School Life Skills Plant Sale has been ongoing for quite some time. “The first year, we were just beginning to learn about seeds and plants,” shared Barbour. “This year, I actually had two projects that dealt with planting.”
“Two young ladies started a business in school. We grew houseplants and herbs to sell to students and staff. This was our first year to sell our plants.”
“We started on February 22. The students began learning about the different types of zones for planting, what would grow in our area, and then they
surveyed staff and others about items they would like to have in their gardens,” Barbour continued.
The class then put their technological skills to work and began online research to locate a variety of seed companies. Typing were utilized to send email
requests for the seed catalogs of their choosing.
“When the catalogs arrived, we went through every one,” Barbour said. “We located the seeds we wanted, but before we could order we had another task. We learned to use Scale to Model math strategies to design and plan a garden that we could display.”
Each of the student designs incorporated a variety of companion plants which they learned might thrive near one another, carefully designed paths to care for their garden as it came to grow, and structures which would protect the garden and support optimal growth.
“We had over twenty-five varieties of flowers, houseplants, tomatoes,
peppers, peas, cucumbers and herbs,” Barbour recalled. “And then we decided
to add garden sculptures to our sale. The students designed flowers to stake in the yard and garden.”
Patrons of the plant sale marveled at the options on market day. Students had executed multiple transplants over the eight weeks of preparation, and each
students was assigned watering roles and duties in the greenhouse.
In the two weeks leading in to the big sale, Life Skills students spent time learning how to price their items, color code prices, and tag plants.
Other students were assigned roles on the Selling Floor. “We completed role play scenarios on greeting customers,” Barbour added. “Suggestive selling and assisting customers in transporting purchases to vehicles was also addressed.”
“I just want to thank everyone for their support of the Libby Middls/High School Plant Sale,” she shared in closing. “The Life skills students worked together for hours learning and using independent Living, Employment, Community and Leisure Skills.”
Top : One of the handmade garden
ornaments by the Life Skills Class is modeled.
Center: A happy shopper makes way to their vehicle with their bounty from the plant sale.
Lower Right: A Life Skills student works the calculator on a final sale for the hour.
(Photos by Stacy Bender)
Things to say about
homework
by Ruby Martin
Libby Logger Publications
– Did you get the homework done?
– Can I copy- I mean, check my answers?
– We had homework?
– It may or may not be turned in on time.
– I definitely did not understand any of that.
– Mr./Mrs. ______ could we go over numbers 1, 5,
and 9?
– I forgot about it.
– Hope this is a completion grade…
– eVeRYtHiNG iS FINE.
– This was better at 2 AM, I swear.
– Maybe the teacher won’t take it as a grade.
– I did it during *insert class here*.
– The dog ate it.
– I turned it in right before it was due.
– THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE EXAMPLE
PROBLEMS.
Kootenai Valley
Christian School
announces new
Administrator
Kootenai Valley Christian School KVCS is celebrating a transition of administration. Beginning May 29, Mrs. Tara Niemi will move into the office of KVCS Administrator, as current Administrator, Mrs. Ruthanne Dolezal, retires.
Mrs. Dolezal attended St. John Lutheran School, as an elementary student, in the building that is now home to KVCS, and then returned in 2010 to serve on staff, as First Grade teacher for four years and then as Administrator for seven years.
Mrs. Niemi earned her BS in Psychology with a minor in Church Ministries, and a MA in Human
Services, from Liberty University. She is completing her degree in School Administration. Mrs. Niemi
began as a volunteer at KVCS in 2018. She taught 5th and 6th grade in 2019/2020, and has now served as KVCS Administrative Assistant during the 2020-2021 school year. She and her husband James have three children.
The KVCS Board, Mrs. Niemi and Mrs. Dolezal worked closely together during this transitional year to ensure a smooth and efficient transition for the school. Mrs. Niemi, will begin her term well equipped to carry forward the vision and purpose of Kootenai Valley Christian School with exceptional skill, passion and integrity.