By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Pervana’s Garden, a Princess Elizabeth Elementary School (P.E.E.S.) and local community garden in Magog, has received a new sign during the school’s celebration of its harvest. The school, other community members, and sponsor representatives gathered on the afternoon of Oct. 5. Principal Mark Warnholtz presided over the unveiling ceremony, which included the reading of ‘Stone Soup’ and finished off with cupcakes for everyone.
Warnholtz thanked and welcomed everyone involved.
“How many of you know the ‘Stone Soup’ story?” he asked to the crowd of children. Ryan Bailey stepped forward and read it out loud.
“The important message,” said Warnholtz after the story was finished, “was that the traveler started with nothing, and then eventually people contributed, and they ended up with a stone soup for everyone. That is what we all did today.”
The garden enhances learning and provides students with the experience of growing food and bringing together diverse groups in a vibrant way, he continued.
He then asked for a specific round of applause for those from Cépop, an organization for adults that have difficulties integrating with society socio-professionally. They tended to the garden, ran activities for the students, and cooked the soup they all had before the event.
Warnholtz made special note of the garden’s sponsors: the Eastern Township School Board, TD Friends of the Environment, the Friends of P.E.E.S. Foundation, and M. Martin Cloutier from Côté Jean Associé.
