MGM Springfield helps improve elementary school garden

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - MGM Springfield is giving outdoor spaces a makeover at the Alfred G. Zanetti Montessori Magnet School in Springfield. 

Students at the Zanetti School are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work in new outdoor garden spaces. MGM Springfield and Winterberry Gardens landscaping are working together to bring these spaces to life, and with the help of students, parents, and staff volunteers, they're adding new beds of herbs and fruit. 

All so Zanetti can continue to promote plant science, sustainability, and food education. The school's garden club gives students ownership of a project that matters, promoting responsibility and healthy eating. It's something MGM Springfield hopes to help sustain through community partnership. 

"Springfield public schools certainly recognizes wellness of children in totality and that includes gardening and even getting cooking lessons. Here at Zanetti Elementary, they specialize in a garden club, and then they learn how to cook with herbs and potatoes that they grow in their own garden," said Jen McGrath, Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at MGM Springfield.

This makeover is coming right at the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week, recognizing all teachers for their dedication to their work and their students. "They work really hard, and it's not an easy job, especially in these times, but we do great work here, and the students are excelling," Zanetti School Principal Tara Christian Clark told 22News.

Now, students can continue their hands-on learning in revamped spaces, giving them a place where their potential can only grow.