May 15, 2009 — Joseph Sibilly Elementary School students proudly took possession Friday of the compost bin the school had won in an April Earth Day ceremony raffle conducted by first lady Cecile deJongh.
Before deJongh arrived, principal Lois Habtes lined up the students in two neat rows, and coached them in how to thank their benefactress.
"What do we say?" she asked. "Thank you, first lady," they said in unison.
When the first lady arrived, one student nudged another: "There's Obama's wife," she said, to which the other replied, "No, no, that's our first lady."
Student Ella Trotman greeted the territory's first lady with a speech: "We would like to thank you for the compost bin. Because of people like you, we are learning to care for our environment."
After the short speech, deJongh was given an immense floral arrangement almost larger than the three children who presented it. "Thank you so much," deJongh laughed. "Did you grow all these flowers?"
DeJongh gave each child a bright orange recyclable bag. "These are to carry with you," she said. "When you bring lunch to school, you can carry it in the bag every day, and take it home with you. No plastic, no paper."
The children seemed more impressed with the lettering, than it's environmental aspect. "It says from the governor and Mrs. deJongh!" observed more than one youngster.
Growing flowers may come in the future. The day was dedicated to the learning about how compost is an integral part of growing fruits and vegetables. The compost bin was donated to the First Lady's School Gardens Project, a part of her Healthy VI Challenge initiative, by Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John, and built by EAST volunteers. Materials needed to build the bin were donated by Sanitation Solutions, MSI Building Supplies and the Sea Chest.
Jason Budsan of EAST talked to the Sibilly School Gardening Club members after the ceremony. "Compost is nature's first recycling project. It starts from the ground up," he said. He showed them three flower pots filled with different kinds of things that will become compost — papers, grass and leave clippings and kitchen trimmings.
He explained how the compost bin works. "Collect organic waste materials, and put them in the tumbler. Add enough water to moisten only. Close the door and give the bin five turns every few days. In about four to six weeks, you will have supercharged soil.
"Let the magic of nature take over with your composting," Budsan said. He explained how the nutrient-rich soil which will come from the compost will make their garden grow.
School nurse Penny Wood, an avid gardener and head of the gardening club, led a guided tour of the garden-to-be that the club has been working on this school year. It is spread on a hillside in back of the school.
Wood said the kids had raked the entire area, piled up the many rocks and in general "worked very hard" to get the garden to this stage for planting when school starts in the fall. She pointed out that the leaves they had raked will go right into their new compost bin.
"The children give up their lunch hour to work on this," Wood said. "They get special lunch passes, and change into gardening shorts, gloves and hats."
"And we really like doing this," said P'Azhae Harrigan. "I like raking the best."
Kiara Bryan had her eyes set on the outcome. "I like growing all the food. It's fun to grow and then you get to eat it."
DeJongh agreed with the children. This is one goal of her healthy living project, to encourage children (and adults) to participate in reducing waste and to live a healthy life style. "I'm encouraged by the positive reaction we are seeing throughout the community to embrace composting," she said.
DeJongh was joined Friday by others in the community who have contributed to the garden projects: Carlos Robles, of the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service; Linda Pukenas of First Bank; and Ryan Moron of Fintrac, who was standing in for Richard Pluke, who has worked closely with all the school garden projects.
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