Summer 2009 - Lancaster Mennonite School

Continued from page 6technology aspect; fourth grade teacher Mary Jane Smith,who grew up in Mount Joy and acted as tour guide as the studentsvisited local landmarks; and fourth grade social studiesteacher Gena Fisher who helped students create props, skits,and PowerPoint presentations. Garton learned about thewebinar from the technology division of the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. ■LMS farm becomesanimal science classroomWhen LMS purchased an 18-acrefarmette 10 years ago, boardmembers and school administratorswere preparing for future needs, includingthe possibility of turning it into alearning facility. This past year thatdream took shape as agricultural scienceteacher and FFA adviser RyanKing turned it into a laboratory forFFA, his animal science classes, andthe middle school Explore class. Andthis past spring its educational potentialreached beyond the Lancaster Campusto include elementary students fromLocust Grove.On May 8, 13 Hans Herr FFA studentswelcomed about 80 K–3 LocustGrove students to the LMS farm that islocated behind the high school at Gridleyand Millstream roads. The FFA studentshelped the young students learnhow calves graduate from bottle feedingto drinking out of a bucket, chickenslay different colored eggs, sheepare shorn, and horses are groomed andmanaged. The FFA students also helpedtheir young visitors plant pumpkinseeds with the hope they can return inOctober to select ripened pumpkins.“This was the first (Spring/FallDay),” King said, explaining that it wasplanned to get the younger studentsexcited about agriculture and help themunderstand where food comes from.“It’s also an opportunity for the FFAstudents to provide leadership in teaching,”he added.The goal is to hold a similar eventeach spring and fall, hopefully includingelementary students throughout theLMS system.The process for turningthe farm into a hands-onlearning facility began severalyears ago when newlyhiredKing learned aboutthe property and shared hisideas with Spanish teacherBrent Hartzler who livesnext door to the farm andwas renting space there forhis sheep and heifers.(Hartzler helped plan theMay 8 event.)Hartzler was supportiveof King’s ideas and whenKing added chickens andgoats to the farm, heoffered to feed them along with his owncattle. Charles and Ann Palmer, LMHparents who rent the house, also pitch insometimes to help care for the animals.According to King, the farm has beena great place to familiarize LMS studentswith animals and their health andnutritional needs.“The more contact kids have withanimals, the more comfortable theybecome with them,” he said. “Hopefullythis contact will promote an interestin animal science.”This spring the FFA Livestock Judgingteam used the facility to preparefor FFA Week which was held in June.There is also talk about having the studentsharvest and sell hay on the propertywhich would tie into an ag businessclass that King teaches. In addition,there may be an opportunity for studentsto raise produce for the LMS foodservice department or, with growingFFA student Kelsey Clemens talks to Locust Grove studentsabout horse management—how they are groomed andtheir different runs and gaits—during a Locust Grove fieldtrip to the LMS farm. Kelsey’s father, Gene, is in the background.interest in Community Sustained Agriculture(CSA), sell it to local families—both excellent ways for FFA students tolearn about ag business.As the learning facility increases inuse, King hopes even more high schoolstudents will take leadership in helpingto run it. And Hartzler has dreams forcommunity persons becoming involved.“We are in the beginning stages ofhow we can best use the farm as aresource for students,” Hartzler said,“and we would appreciate ideas fromthe LMS community to grow theprogram.” ■BRIDGES • SUMMER 2009 7