Burch’s Master Gardener and School Volunteer Receives Community Award

Master gardener Sandy Golden, and mentor to junior gardeners at Robert J. Burch Elementary, is Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring community award winner for the month of December.

The school nominated Golden for the award for the number of hours she spends at Burch helping with the school’s garden, and teaching students about the art of gardening and the benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.

Golden has partnered with Burch to help the school build its own community garden where students grow fruits and vegetables. She teaches students in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth about the value of organic gardening, and the healthy benefits of eating produce that has been home-grown, or in this case, school-grown.

For many students, this is the first time they are seeing the actual life cycle of a plant – from seed, to plant, to fruit, and to seed again. Among the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden include tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and a variety of herbs.

Golden works directly with teachers to incorporate the aspects of gardening across all curriculum areas. Students learn about soil preparation, watering, fertilization, invasive pests, and harvesting.

“Mrs. Golden is so amazing and has truly become a part of our faculty. She is more valuable than gold to us, and we are overjoyed to have her working with Burch as our very own Master Gardener,” says school principal Felecia Spicer.

Golden was surprised with the award at Burch on December 16 during a special presentation made by representatives of Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring. The award came with a $500 cash prize.