Gardeners of the Galaxy

Volume I

Written by: Mrs. Schell's and Miss Wise's

Fourth Period Classes

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/abt6e3aw7pbe

Cover Art by: Mrs. Desiree Schell

Back Cover Art by: Marco Rey, Fourth Grader

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the written consent of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2016

The edition first published by www.storyjumper.com

StoryJumper, Inc. 850 E Greenwich Pl Plato Alto CA 94303

Foreword

This outdoor learning experience incorporated lessons from Language Arts, Reading, Science, and Health. To further this lesson for our students, this project also met the social and emotional needs of our truly gifted learners, which has led to the publishing of these stories. Our hope is that our students have bonded and formed lifelong friendships, in addition to gaining more of an appreciation for learners of all ages and nature itself.

1. Joseph & Ethan......p. 5

2. Ella & Julia..............p. 9

3. Alana & Hayley......p. 13

4. Liam & Gavin.........p. 16

5. Sophie & Juliana....p. 20

6. Sage & Elias...........p. 24

7. Natalie & Piper......p. 28

8. Nihal & Marco......p. 33

9. Jeffrey & Tristan....p. 37

10. Jono & Jeremy......p. 41

11. Kaylee & Ava C.....p. 44

12. Noelle & Ava S.............p. 48

13. Nathan & Payton........p. 53

14. Diana & Claire.............p. 56

15. James & Zakil...............p. 60

16. Caroline & Ahmari......p. 64

17. Allyson & Ava P...........p. 67

18. Grace & Naomi............p. 71

19. Josh & Hayden.............p. 74

20. Charlotte & Sasha.......p. 77

21. Zephy & Susan............p. 81

22. Acknowledgements....p. 86

Table of Contents

Joseph & Ethan

When we were meeting our fourth grade buddies, we had just finished reading Seedfolks. We headed out to Ms. Wise’s classroom to meet our fourth grade buddy. When Ms. Schell was announcing partners, I felt nervous, unsure of who I would get. Would I know the person from before, or would I have never met him before? As we were getting our partner assignments, I felt anxious. When I finally got partnered with Ethan, I talked with him, and we got to know each other. I felt excited working together, and we eventually became friends. He came up with ideas, we agreed and disagreed about things, and we talked about our outside life.

When I first met my buddy Joseph, I was kind of worried about who I would be paired with. Is it my friend, or someone that I don’t know? Is he mean, like a demon or nice like an angel?

I was nervous because sometimes middle schoolers aren’t that nice. When I got partnered with Joseph, he seemed very nice and friendly. He also was smart and helped me write my essays.

Meeting each other, we figured out that we had several commonalities, including that we were both in the same Cub Scout group, pack 1001, and we both like engineering and robotics. We both want the earth to become greener and like the color green. Talking with my partner, we also learned that we both liked video games.

My first impression of the garden was actually in second grade, but I’ll talk about my fourth grade experience. I was pretty happy because the garden was in much better shape, being bigger and greener. I was also sad because it looked much different. Now, it is full of color, and smells very pleasant. In the area that we were sitting, it was nice and shady. The garden was very green and seemed attracting.

When I first saw the garden, it was in fourth grade, it was a small display of dirt, with a few greens growing, and I was working with a few classmates to try to spruce the place up. After

that, I forgot about the garden for a while, not thinking about it. The next time I came, with Ethan, the change in the garden was jaw-dropping. There was now a bustling garden, filled with a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices, and it seemed like a whole new place.

What I learned about my buddy Joseph is that we’re both in Scouting and that he enjoys the garden. Also, he enjoys hiking and likes tomatoes. I furthermore learned that he enjoyed the outdoors and enjoyed the sights of the fruits, vegetables, and flowers growing.

What I learned about my buddy, Ethan, is that he and I both shared several feelings and approaches to tasks. Also, I became aware that he enjoys hiking. He also enjoys the garden very much and enjoyed the tomatoes very much. On the opposite note, he also enjoys punk music.

An insight that I gained from working together with my buddy Joseph and this activity was that writing can be fun when you’re working with friends. Even something that you once dreaded can turn into a fun activity such as writing.

One insight I learned from this is that if you work together, everything can become possible

and more exciting too. At first, working together in the garden and in class, I didn’t feel as if it were fun or thrilling, but after going to the garden more, and having to write this story, it felt more exciting as if a dreaded activity turned into a fun one.

A hope that we both share is for the world to become a better place where, everyone becomes friends with each other, and the world becomes greener. If the world becomes socialized, then places like the garden will become bigger and more common, and our world would be more connected.

Written by: Joseph Lu and Ethan Stocker

Ella & Julia

It was time for us to meet our buddies from Mrs. Wises’ classroom. When we walked in, we had to sit down and wait for our names to be called and who we would be paired up with for the year. I got assigned to Julia. We discussed what we liked. We both liked the color blue and dogs. I was interested to find out what we will be doing throughout the year.

Last night, I had a dream about meeting our new buddies. The dream was about how the Earth exploded and only two classrooms and a garden were left, Mrs. Schell’s and Mrs. Wise’s. Then I met my partner, just like we were doing the next day. I felt weird because I didn’t know who my buddy was going to be and then my name got called and I was assigned to Ella.

In the next meeting, we talked about all the activities we participate in and the things we have in common. We both liked tomatoes and sunflower seeds that we had in the garden. We

both liked tomatoes and sunflower seeds that we had in the garden. We both thought the garden was cool and all of the plants and vegetables in it. We both liked the garden because we enjoyed going there and eating all of the vegetables.

This time we met in the garden. I liked all of the flowers and vegetables that were in the garden because they were all very colorful and made me happy. After we sat and talked, we then ate a bunch of fruits and vegetables and worked on writing an essay. I liked the sunflowers and tomatoes the most. I was also excited to see our tea grow.

The first time I went to the garden, I noticed sunflowers and tomatoes, so we sat near them. After my buddy, Ella and I, read our activity for the day, which was giving each other our Valentine gifts and talking about the garden. I thought that it was cool that the garden was so small, but still had a lot of food in it, especially the tomatoes. I guess I didn’t realize how much food can be grown in a small space.

What I learned about Julia in the garden is that she likes to explore and find out

information on things. She is also very energetic and fun. I learned that she likes to sew, cook, and build. Julia likes neon colors and ducks. She is ten years old and likes to express her opinion about everything. She also likes cookies like I do. Julia is a well-rounded, sweet girl.

While working together, I learned about my buddy, that we typed the same. I also found out that Ella is thirteen years old and that she talks a lot. My buddy likes to call her dog weird names and she likes to horseback ride. Ella and I don’t share a lot in common because she likes hippos and I like ducks.

From the garden experience I learned that it is fun to work with another person. We learn more about ourselves and through other people. One insight I gained from the garden experience is that more opinions and ways to look at a problem is better because you can gain more information and have a different view about a problem and a solution. I also learned that sometimes you have to compromise so that both views can be seen. I am glad that I got to experience working in the garden.

One insight I gained while working in the garden with my buddy, Ella, is that sometimes it is harder to try to share two opinions and come up with one. I also learned from this experience that my buddy can be stubborn but also fun, and that is why I am glad I am working with Ella. I am glad I had this experience in the garden.

My partner and I both want to make a change in the world. We both think that taking one step can make you move a long way. For example, planting one seed can sprout a huge tree in the future. Even though we might make a change in a different way in the future, we still both want to make a change in the world.

Written by: Ella Middleton and Julia Fritz

Alana & Hayley

On our first day in the garden I met my buddy, Hayley. I felt a bit intimidated, but her bubbly personality made me feel more comfortable. I remember her pink shirt and matching skirt that popped in the garden of green. She immediately greeted me with a huge smile and I did in return.

When I first met my buddy, Alana, I was shy and also nervous. I was also very excited at the first meeting. I acted a little shy. I never really had friends that were older than me. Bonding and talking with her made me more outgoing, and from then on, I was never shy around Alana.

Hayley and I sat on the wooden frame that surrounded one of many earth boxes. We chatted about our passion for gardening. The conversation began to steer toward our sports interests. We discovered that both of us enjoy playing basketball. Our conversation ended on

our hope for a future filled with animals.

My buddy, Alana and I sat down by the squash, beets, and tomatoes. Began to talk about our future goals and our sports interests. Then we talked about our athletic similarities. We both love to play basketball and to watch golf. We both bonded over our love for the garden. Both of us prefer to eat fruits over veggies.

My buddy, Hayley, and I’s relationship grew and strived like a healthy flower. We both felt intimidated just as a small seedling may feel. As we showered one another with kindness and love as our friendship flower grew. Now our friendship is fully grown into a beautiful plant.

When Alana and I entered the garden, we thought it was very colorful and vibrant. The colors ranged from green to red. The colors ranged from green to bright red. Different colors popped everywhere. That is our first impression of the garden.

From this experience, I gained the knowledge that all kids no matter their age groups, can be friends. Even with a three- year age gap, kids can bond and form friendships. We both

learned more about each other. We realized we share many differences even with an age barrier.

I learned that seventh graders and fourth graders can become friends, even though they have a three-year difference. I learned how the N.A.S.A soil is for growing things than other soils. I learned about a plant’s life cycle. I learned about hydroponic towers. That is what I learned about in the garden.

Both of us hope to have a successful future. Hayley and I want to have a small family and be surrounded with the people we love. We agree that we would prefer to have pets. Even though we have our differences, we both have similar dreams.

Alana and I share many hopes and dreams for the future. We both want to interact with animals when we grow up. We hope to have pets which will help is grow as students. Alana and I both wish we will be successful and blossom.

Written by: Alana Sotolongo and Hayley Peace

Liam & Gavin

When I first met Gavin, I was at my Dad’s woodshop last summer. One of the people that my Dad was giving some tips showed up to continue on the crib he was building, and he had brought his son Gavin. He was going to be in fourth grade, but he was still amazed by all the machines in the shop. He sat down and we had a nice conversation about the video game I was playing. Sadly, he had to leave, but this was the start of a long friendship.

When I first met Liam it was at his dad’s workshop in Sarasota. I was there helping my dad make a crib or my sister who was going to be born in October. While I was there I saw that Liam’s dad made a fog horn which I absolutely loved. When we were there we had a convocation about his x-box 360. That's how I met Liam for the first ever time.

We have many commonalities. For example, we both came Pine View in third grade, we both

like our teachers, and both had Miss. Wise in fourth grade. These are just a few of the many commonalities that we share.

When I first walked into the garden, I was amazed. To be honest, I never would have thought that a team of teachers and students would be able to create such a beautiful garden in such a small area. It was as if they had created a plant rainbow! The colors were so amazing, and there were so many awesome fragrances surrounding me.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the garden was the luscious green color. It smelled like mints, tomatoes, and basil all in one. It felt like I had walked inside a soft, green forest. I looked around and I saw emerald greens and ruby reds all around me. It was so awesome that I could barely comprehend it.

While in the garden, I learned quite a few things about my buddy, Gavin. For example, I discovered that Gavin had just moved into a new house. From the way that he described it, it seemed like a very nice house. I also learned that he had just received a new baby sister named

Hazel.

I learned in the garden that Liam had never tried the succulent taste of a tomato. Also, I discovered that Liam is a big fan of hockey. These are just a few of the things that I found out about my buddy Liam while we were in the garden setting.

While working on this garden activity, I learned many things. For example, I found out how to work together in a team. I also learned leadership skills. This was because my partner sometimes was off-task. (Sorry Gavin!)

One thing I gained from this experience was the knowledge of gardening and the importance of plants in our ecosystem. One thing that I learned about gardening was what a decomposition machine was and how it worked. It was amazing that such a simple machine could do so much work.

We are similar in many ways. One way is that both of us would like to grow through the school system and blossom into the world of adults. Also, we would both like to help people in

our jobs and root ourselves in the world as helpful people. For example, Gavin wants to help animals and their owners understand about their pets. Also, Liam would like to help people understand about space and how the universe first blossomed.

Written by: Liam O’Malley and Gavin Van Pelt

Sophie & Juliana

When I first met Juliana, I was excited. I felt this way because I was glad I got to mentor someone. I was also extremely eager because I thought that this would be a very interesting experience. I initially thought that Juliana was incredibly mature and friendly. I was glad that I could make a new friend.

When I first met Sophie I was excited and anxious. I was excited because I found out we had a lot in common. I thought it was interesting that we have many commonalities. Also, I was surprised that my buddy, Sophie, had the same name as one of my friends. I was anxious because I wanted to know what experiences I will have in seventh grade.

Some commonalities we have are we both want to go to college, we both like math, and we are both the youngest in our family. Some more things we have in common are we both like

drawing, we are both gluten free, we both enjoy gardening, and we avoid bees.

I found the garden to be very impressive. I saw a multitude of different colors, plants, and animals. I thought that it was very interesting that many generations of kids planted things in the garden. The garden was blooming and there were many different kinds of beautiful flowers. I was also intrigued by some of the exotic plants that were present in the garden.

I also found the garden to be colorful with lots of greens and other colors. A lot of food looked like blooming flowers. I also thought the food would be delicious. There were many different kinds of food and animals that help with the garden. I especially enjoyed the tomatoes and the mint. I knew the tomatoes were healthy because our teachers allowed us to eat them. I think it’s helpful that the garden had a composter.

I found out that my buddy, Juliana, is very intelligent and fun to garden with. I also learned a lot about her interests, such as cheerleading. I discovered a lot about my buddy’s ambitious hopes for the future. I also was surprised to know that we have a lot in common. Finally, I

discovered that my buddy is very active and exciting.

In the garden setting I was informed of the fact that we have many things in common. I learned we had the same favorite fruit, and neither of us like bees. I learned that my buddy is aware of the importance of eating healthy foods. While in the garden setting, I discovered that my buddy, Sophie, enjoyed tasting the mint and tomatoes.

I figured out that there is a lot of work and planning that is needed to have a garden grow successfully. I also gathered that a lot of weeds grow around plants. I discovered that a lot of plants that I was hesitant to try actually tasted very good. I was surprised to know how long it takes for plants to grow and prosper. Overall, the experience I had in the garden was one that taught me a lot about how plants and animals function.

In the garden I got to discover even more about gardening. I already had some knowledge on gardening since I used to help my papa in his garden. I got to tell him some more about this to help him improve his garden. I also get to help him when I’m at his house to plant flowers. I

also gained knowledge on the fact that it’s important to routinely eat healthy foods.

In the future we both want to travel around the world and visit different restaurants. We both discovered our love for restaurants with colorful and exotic food. We also would like them to have organic and natural foods from the earth. We both want to go to college. We both wish to live a long life. We both would like to graduate from Pine View.

Written by: Sophie Winer and Juliana Silver

Sage & Elias

When I first met my fourth grade buddy, Elias, I was very excited to get to know him because I would be spending a lot of time with them. When I told my buddy, Elias, about myself, I found out that we both swim for the Sarasota Sharks swim team. He is very nice, kind, and funny. Elias told me that he is a very fast swimmer on his team and we bonded over that.

When I first met my seventh grade buddy, Sage, I was happy because she was very nice and always smiling. We always had a great time in the garden. Sometimes Sage and I finished early and since we both swim on the same swim team we would talk about the latest swim meets. My buddy always has great ideas for some of the reports that we do in the garden.

Elias and I both do competitive swimming, but we swim in different areas. We are very

very good at swimming and we see each other sometimes at swim meets. Elias and I would both like to go to the Olympics when we are older and we would both like to meet some of the Olympic swimmers and receive guidance from them. Also, we both like watching movies and relaxing on Saturdays after swim practice.

We thought the garden was very welcoming. The garden was very healthy looking and the vegetables look delicious. When we stayed in the garden for a bit longer, we were more connected with the garden. We both enjoyed the garden very much and thought it was a calming and relaxing area.

In the garden, I realized that Elias really likes broccoli and bees. When he walked around the garden he would try to consume everything in sight. Elias is a very interesting character, but I am glad I got to know him. Elias can get distracted very easily, but I did my best to get his attention in the garden.

While I was in the garden, I found out that Sage hates bees and hates when I eat things from

the garden. I also discovered that Sage hates tomatoes and that we both like broccoli. I think it’s very strange in my opinion that she doesn’t like tomatoes. I asked her why and she told me it’s because of the texture of the inside of the tomatoes and the seeds inside.

When Elias and I were in the garden, I learned that when we planted seeds and came back a couple weeks later, the seeds had sprouted into plants. It was very interesting to see the seeds that my buddy, Elias, and I had planted a couple of weeks earlier turn into plants and grow taller. I learned a lot about my buddy in the garden and I also learned about the garden. It was a very fun experience.

I learned that vegetables take a lot of time to grow and vegetables taste fresher than when they are from a grocery store because they are from the garden. The garden is a peaceful and nice place to sit in because of all the shade and nature surrounding me. School can be very stressful, so I think it is a terrific idea to take us to the garden and get to know the seventh graders.

Elias and I both want the garden to keep growing and to strive through the rest of the Pine

View years. Sage and I both would also like to go to the Olympics for competitive swimming. We both enjoy the garden very much and think it is a great place to be relaxed and stress free. We both would look forward to the garden staying healthy, clean, and full of life.

Written by: Sage Yenari and Elias Corn

Natalie & Piper

“As I was saying, Piper, at break, David totally told me that Alice told Jered that Gerome took Ella’s sandwich at lunch! I just can’t believe him! He seemed like such a nice guy, but Sarah told me that Alice said that Gerome knocked all of Jillian’s books off of her desk! Then, Alice told me that-”

“Natalie you have to stop! All I know about you is that you babble about gossip! I don’t even know what your favorite color is! You only talk about what other people say,” Piper exclaimed as she yanked a weed out of the kale plot.

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Natalie questioned innocently. “You know plenty of things about me! I mean, we are best friends, after all. Things like… like…” Natalie trailed off, gazing at Piper imploringly as she leaned back on her haunches, brushing dirt and leaves roughly

off of her gloves.

“Well maybe we shouldn’t be friends then. I’m sick of hearing gossip and, I mean, if I don’t know anything about you, why should we be friends anyway?” Piper replied calmly as she threw the weed into the compost pile.

“Maybe you’re right! You should just hang out with your other friends!” Natalie retorted angrily. “I thought I lucked out on getting you as my partner, but if we’re so incompatible, maybe I should have requested to have my partner changed in the first week!” Shouted Natalie, throwing her garden gloves on the ground and storming away from the plots of veggies.

“Maybe there is a way.” Piper questioned. “Wait…Who would my buddy have left me to hang out with?” Piper questioned as she crept behind Natalie and peered at the friends she was talking to.

“Yeah! She like totally told me that she hated me and that she never wanted to see me again!” complained Natalie. "It was totally her fault though! She didn't want me to talk about anything

but herself! I mean, it’s not my fault that we got partnered for the stupid garden project! Maybe I’m better off without her.” Natalie’s friends laughed, and Piper waited until the girl meandered off to tell more people about her friend’s brusqueness, then stepped out of the shadows.

“You guys, Natalie is out of control! All I told her was that she needed to chill out on the constant gossip, and she came over here and told you guys that I was at fault and didn’t want to be around her anymore.” Piper watched as Natalie’s closest friends kicked at leaves and looked on while Natalie was losing a little bit more of herself every moment that they waited to act.

Later that day, as Natalie flopped onto her bed, she looked at her phone and saw an unexpected message. “Meet me at the garden in 20 minutes.” The message was sent twelve minutes ago. Natalie threw on her jacket, ran into the garage and snatched up her bike as she passed, clicking her helmet into place, she wondered why on Earth her new enemy wanted to meet with her.

“Pay attention! Please?” Piper begged. “She’s gonna be here in 5 minutes and you guys don't

even know what we’re doing yet!” Piper flumped down and fiddled with the tomato sprouts just quieted down. “Finally! Listen, we are staging an intervention for Natalie, and we are going to try to get her to realize that everyone is better off if they don’t have to worry about what people are saying behind their backs.” Piper held up three bright index cards “Now, did everyone remember their cards?”

Natalie walked slowly into the garden, confused as to why there was a mob of people there. “Piper?” Natalie ventured.

When Piper caught sight of Natalie, she put her arm around her. “Do you remember the first time we met?” Natalie nodded slowly, furrowing her brow in the glare of the blinding sunlight. “We met for our language arts classes, for some garden project. We wrote part of a book together! But even though that project is long over, we are just as close! We met in this very garden, and we were assigned together. I loved being your partner, and then being your friend, but now…”

Natalie gazed solemnly at the ground, “I’m sorry, I just thought that maybe… maybe if I talked like the popular kids, that everyone would treat me like I was popular.”

“Do you like the way that the popular kids talk about you?” Natalie shook her head. “Than why would you ever want to make anyone else feel that way?” The girls hugged and laughed.

“If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you are capable of changing yourself for the better.” Piper said later, after a long bike ride home with her changed-for-the-better best friend.

Written by: Natalie Williams and Piper Kassin-Ball

Nihal & Marco

It was a nice and sunny day, and then I saw him. Him. He-Who-Must-Be-My-Partner. He was very similar to me. I felt very happy, being able to shape the next generation, with amazing qualities. He will be my reincarnation. My twin (not in the blood type of way).

When I first saw my buddy, Nihal, I knew that we would be friends. We had many things in common We like old video games, being gifted and having a rich culture. I knew that this was the beginning of an amazing friendship.

We were very alike, we both like video games. We both also like POKEMON. My dream is to be the very best like no one ever was. To make cash is my real quest, to spend it is my cause. I will travel far and wide, searching for a job. These dollar bills, they understand, the POWER THAT’S INSIDE! Green money… I KNOW IT’S MY DESTINY. We both like Super Smash Bros. We also like

Mega Man! My dream is to make my own video games. We both also love food. I like sushi in particular. My homie likes chicken. We like to play video games. We also like Clash Royale.

The garden was green, just like the “green” money. Very, very green. When we first went there, everything was wet. Wet and green. The plants were green. We had tried some tomatoes. They were good, and red. The tomatoes at the garden were red. Red tomatoes were ripe, while green one were still growing. I personally thought the garden was AWESOME. It was very natural. It was very wonderful.

The garden… a very interesting topic. It was wet and green. The rain made all the plants green. It was as wet as water. “As green as green…” – Marco Rey. The garden was also very colorful. It was pretty crowded, and it did not have very much space to sit. We thought the garden was really super extremely cool.

I learned that my buddy Marco is Mexican. I also figured out that he thinks tomatoes are cool. We loved the feeling of being in nature. We are TARZAN!! We like to plant and garden

because we get to eat food. Lastly, I discovered that he likes the game of baseball.

I learned that my buddy, Nihal, likes to eat. I learned that while we were eating tomatoes. We both munched up those tomatoes like there was no tomorrow!. They were delicious, and they tasted like the food for the gods. Then came the yummy kale. It was very green. The scent of mint filled our spirits with joy.

I discovered many insights from Marco. He taught me how to treat plants with care. I was a horrible gardener till I met Marco. He even knew how to plant properly. I was too dumb to even know how to dig a hole for gardening. Marco also taught me how to get organized in a garden.

One insight I gained from Nihal is that the kale grown at the garden is Italian Kale. I discovered that because Nihal, being his usual curious self, confirmed this with Mrs. Schell. When we were working I cultivated the fact that my buddy has every extraordinary talent; in eating.

We want to grow our income. We want to be good at our work. We want to get good like our plants. We want to be the very best by working hard. Our dream for our future is to plant our

marks in the world. We want to have a great, triumphant life, but to work hard. Just like gardening if you work hard to grow your crops than you get a good, final, sometimes edible, outcome.

Written By: Nihal Sageer and Marco Rey

Jeffrey & Tristan

Mrs. Schell had us read the book Seedfolks and wanted us to connect with a fourth grader in the garden setting to mirror Seedfolks. So Miss Wise and Mrs. Schell she set up a lot of activities that included a fourth grade class and we were asked to write a paper about it.

The first time I met my partner, Jeffrey I was a little nervous, but happy because this kind of project was new to me. But I was happy because I will make a new seventh grade friend I was happy to start this project, and I was enthusiastic. I am very happy we did this project.

When I met my partner, I was not happy because my friends are all older than fourth graders, and I don’t like spending class time with a fourth grader. I was also apprehensive because I don’t usually spend a class period in a garden.

I discovered that my partner also plays sports, like me. I also learned that we both like pizza, but like different pizza places. I dislike tomatoes because they have nasty goo in them. I like tomato sauce because the sauce is mixed with other things and tastes better.

I learned that my partner and I dislike tomatoes, but we both also like watermelon. I would rather play basketball than work in the garden because I don’t like the garden. I don’t like the garden because of the things we do in the garden like answer questions in the dirt instead of at a desk.

The garden was bright with green coloring and it looked like a lot of fun. I was disappointed that we were only going to grow spices and herbs for tea, because I do not like tea, I would have preferred to grow strawberries.

My first impression of the garden was that I noticed its vivid colors. It smells like dirt and it sounds like nature with leaves rustling. One thing I learned about my partner is that he likes strawberries. I dislike the taste of most of the plants in the garden. My favorite food is tacos which

have lettuce and tomatoes which are similar to the things grown in the garden.

I learned that my partner would rather be in a classroom doing work instead of all of this other stuff in the garden. I also learned that my partner would appreciate air conditioning at least, because he said so. Jeffrey always had a positive attitude when we were together though and was never grumpy.

I learned that my partner’s favorite colors are red and black. He likes pizza and mahi-mahi. He also likes red snapper, but mahi-mahi is his favorite. Tristan likes the garden and I don’t because the plants don’t taste good.

For garden insight, the garden looks like a big tropical forest that has been downsized. Also, I learned that gardens can be used to bring people together and Jeffrey is very positive in the garden and when we are together.

I discovered that we do not share any hopes or dreams, but we share what it takes to get there. I would like to attend law school and Tristan would like to be a pro basketball player. He

also like to be a football player if he could not be a basketball player. After law school I would like to become an agent in the F.B.I.

Written by: Jeffrey Rosenthal and Tristan Rans

Jono & Jeremy

When I met my seventh grade garden buddy, Jono, I thought he was very friendly. He was nice to me, and always encouraged me to work. We did several Storyworks projects together. We worked well together on these, and had fun. This is what I thought when I first met my garden buddy.

Meeting my fourth grade buddy, Jeremy, was an oddly surprising experience. As I am a seventh grader, I wasn’t particularly excited about the prospect of working with a fourth grader, but as we did different activities together, I realized he was a nice person. I knew we’d be working together for a bit, and I was glad that he was informed about a lot of things. When he needed help with understanding a concept or phrase, I would stop and assist him, and he learned quickly.

My garden buddy, Jeremy, and I have several things in common. For instance, we both love video games and playing outdoors. While we were in the garden we shared information about each other and learned off of each other. While we worked, we would ask each other questions in a sort of game of truth or dare to get to know each other. We both like analyzing things and recording its details, so at the end of every meeting we would write down our observations into a shared notebook.

When I saw the garden it was smaller than I imagined. It wasn’t that big and all the plants were small. The plants were not grown up. I saw a few ripe tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli. Over time though, we were able to watch the garden grow into a collection of healthy (and yummy) plants. It was full of bright greens and vivid reds and was a colorful distraction from the solid gray sidewalks and deep blue awnings that covered the rest of the school. It was a breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively.

Throughout our time in the garden, I learned a lot about Jeremy. Of the things I asked him

about most of his favorite memories were about video games. He had a plethora of knowledge about plants and did not hesitate to share it with me. He was not at all shy, and in fact had a very outspoken personality. After he took a trip to a farm, he was able to relate a lot of the plants to ones he had seen at the farm.

One insight I discovered was that Jono loves to work. I discovered this because he keeps reminding me to stay on track. When we were in the garden working he encouraged me to complete my tasks. He was very funny and would make me laugh a lot.

After all the discussion we have had in the garden, Jeremy and I have found a dream that we both have for the future, and that is that we both become wealthy (one way or another) so we can help the world. Hopefully we can both grow up to accomplish our dreams.

Written by: Jono Smith and Jeremy Gendeloff

Kaylee & Ava C.

Back in October, I first met Ava. I was excited and happy to meet my fourth grade buddy. I was excited that I got paired up with Ava because I recognized her from both my buses. Since I sat in the back of the bus, we never got a chance to talk. So, being paired up was a great way to meet someone new.

It was maybe 4000 years ago when I met Kaylee. I was extremely nervous. Then the door suddenly opened. At that point, I was ready to hide in the closet. I had some mental image of something very different then what Kaylee was like. My teacher called Kaylee as my partner, so she walked over to my desk, and we started talking. I felt myself calm down. Then I got excited because I made a new friend.

When we first met, we had to do an activity that expresses our likes and dislikes. I found out we have quite a lot in common. Such as our interest in animals more specifically cats and for snacks such as, Pringles to name a few. We also have a common dislike in spiders.

So we met and kept talking and I found we have a lot in common. Some of the things that I found out were when we met and some more recently. Back 4000 years ago, I found we both like pink; More recently, we both found out we like Pringles. Unlike I thought in the very beginning, we have a lot in common.

When we first went to the garden about 1000 years ago, I completely over looked it as boring work for strange unhuman food items. But when I saw I was wrong. I wasn’t 100% in love with it but I was a little intrigued. As the garden changed over time, grew closer and closer to the mystical place. Right now, I love the garden.

My first impression of the garden is that it’s a place where people get to connect and garden while learning about plants and nature. At first, I wasn’t very interested in the garden because

the plants looked small and wimpy. As time grew, the vegetation grew lushly, and I changed my opinion.

In the garden I didn’t learn a huge mountain of death and destruction of facts about Kaylee, but I did learn a few. To connect to the liking of Pringles I actually learned that in the garden because I had Pringles for a snack, and I offered Kaylee some to be polite and she shot off with an immediate answer “yes”. I also found out that she doesn’t like yellow tomatoes.

Working in the garden was a great learning experience for both me and Ava because I learned quite a few things about her. I learned Ava liked cherry tomatoes and observing colorful flowers. She also likes to say, ‘’What the heck is that thing?’, when seeing something weird and interesting.

In the garden, I learned my buddy knows to how get work done and she gets it’s DONE. She does give me a little push but in the end ,it’s worth it because it then we can talk and eat Pringles. My buddy also expressed her liking for gardening and her dislike for yellow tomatoes. For more

on my buddy getting more done in less time is priority of hers that she has on to me.

Working and writing together, I learned many things that improved my everyday lifestyle. I learned both about time management and team work. These are both great insights I learned while working in the garden because it allows for time to talk and explore the garden.

Both my buddy and I wish to blossom like a chrysanthemum flower and grow passionately and gracefully. We both want to have something in the future for us that’s unique and exciting. We both want in our future to grow and flourish toward the light.

Written by: Kaylee Tran and Ava Crowell

Noelle & Ava S.

On the day Mrs. Schell introduced us to our garden buddies, we had just taken our Seedfolks test. I was excited to try something new, instead of our usual classroom routine. When we were brought to the fourth grade classroom, Mrs. Schell was calling out the names of my fellow classmates and their assigned buddies. Along with the excitement, I was gaining a small amount of nervousness. When my teacher called my name, I gained my balance as I got off the floor and introduced myself to my buddy and new friend Ava. During our first meet, I knew that we would become friends that would help and assist each other for the rest of our time together.

The first time I met with my buddy, Noelle, I felt nervous and confused, my hands and arms got all clammy. I guess that I could say I was a little, freakishly, nervous. I was shy and afraid of

getting a partner that was mean or misunderstanding. It turned out that I got a wonderful buddy, who was very nice. Her name was Noelle, she is understanding and not mean. We became buddies and friends from then on.

Ava and I have much in common. When we first met, we talked about where we liked to visit and the activities we like to do. We discovered that we both like to play basketball, which Ava hopes that she will make the basketball team when she is in sixth grade. We also discovered that each of us have at least two pets. Even though we are both in different grades, we have much in common.

My buddy, Noelle, and I have some in common. We both have light brown hair. Some of our commonalities are that we both enjoy basketball, reading and exercising. Noelle and I both have at least two pets. Noelle has one dog and one bird. I have one bunny at my father’s house, yet at my mother’s house, I have three fish and one cat. Noelle and I also both have two siblings. We both have a lot in common.

I personally have been to way too many homemade gardens throughout my life, but in this garden, the fact that students barely over the age of ten could produce such a mesmerizing scene is very impressive. They created such beautiful, Earthly masterpiece with all the different colors being sprouted out of the soil. When I think of trying to start a garden, I realize that it is a lot harder than expected. I am amazed by the progress of this young and lively garden; run by such young adolescents, as it is thriving so proudly.

My first word I said when I entered the garden was “WOW!” I was stunned by this amazing garden, it was so beautiful. It was the most amazing plantation I have ever seen. There were so many edible plants and regular plants in general, such as lettuce, tomatoes, sunflowers, and broccoli. It was so tempting not to eat everything. My mouth was definitely watering with hunger for the delicious fruits and veggies.

My buddy and I have been working together for a while now, and I feel that I have become closer and gotten to know my buddy. Some of the things I learned about my buddy is that Ava

enjoys vegetables, she has many different and interesting pets, and has the nicest personality. I found that Ava can identify the vegetables without any help. Ava also has many interesting pets such as, one bunny, two fish and a cat. Another thing I learned about my buddy is that she has a nice personality, she always has a caring attitude about the world and has a strong mindset, with what she wants to accomplish.

Noelle and I have met multiple times and have learned many things about each her. One thing I have learned about Noelle is that she always has good ideas and a good attitude. She likes to wear jewelry, and she loves many types of vegetables. Noelle loves to share and has a great heart. For example, on Valentine’s Day she got me the cutest stuff animal with a beautiful bag and rapping. This is what I know about my wonderful seventh grade buddy, Noelle.

When my teacher first introduced us to the garden, I thought we would just be sitting there, writing and writing with no distraction in the small plantation. But when we started writing I kept getting side-tracked with all the different smells and colors of the garden. The instinctive odor

of sweet strawberries, and red, ripe tomatoes, my taste buds were going crazy. Throughout our visits, my emotions of the garden have increased and it is more enjoyable than imagined.

The first time I entered the garden, I was amazed by the beautiful, small, plantation that was set right before my eyes. The garden influences many children to grow and eat healthy food for themselves and others. It had many luscious looking tomatoes and lettuce. The garden was also holding many cabbage heads and kale. I believe that this is such an amazing place.

My buddy and I have different views and dreams for the future, but we both want to excel and be successful with our future careers. Ava wants to be either a drawing artist or a singer, and hopefully one day become famous. But my dreams are being steered in the opposite direction. I want to go to dental or medical school. With hard work and a strong dedication, I believe that I can achieve my dream and become successful with my own business. Even though my buddy and I have different goals, we both want to succeed with our upcoming lives.

Written by: Noelle Bencie and Ava Silvia

Nathan & Payton

We have this buddy thing in our class. It’s where we buddy up with a seventh grader and do stuff like writing. On our first meet up I was nervous, but then I was happy that he was my buddy. He was tall with brown hair and he looked cool.

On our first day of buddying up with a fourth grader, it was far beyond awkward. No one knew each other and our age difference made it much more difficult. However, my Payton and I excelled. Others struggled but something sparked between us.

We both have a lot in common. We both enjoy joking around. However, we are not fond of tomatoes. Not to mention that we both also enjoy video games! For example, we also like Terraria and Minecraft. At the end of the day we both get the job done and work well with each other.

When Nathan and I were first going in the garden we were amazed. Well I was. I don’t know about him. There were a lot of plants. There was kale and tomatoes. All of us planted some plants and it was very fun. Some people messed around with the compost bin.

In the garden there was a surprising amount of room! It was the biggest garden I had ever seen. There were explosions of vibrant green left and right. Most of the plants I had never even seen before! My first impressions of the garden was very good.

I’ve learned a lot about my buddy, Nathan. He likes gardening. He dislikes some foods that you can grow, for example, he doesn’t like cherry tomatoes. We both dislike lots of gardening food (food that you can plant and harvest) like peppers. We both like joking around. But in the long run we get the job done. Honestly, he isn’t annoying like my brother, which I like about him.

I learned a lot about more about my buddy in the garden. I learned that we are more alike than I thought! We both dislike and like all the same foods and we joke around a lot.

I learned some things, some from the garden, some from Nathan, some from the activities.

Like Nathan gave me some tips for my FSA test, while we were in the garden. I also learned that plants can grow right before my very eyes!

The garden has taught me a lot. I learned how to plant vegetables and how often you water them. This information will be very useful when I make a garden of my own and become a famous farmer.

After a while, we both decided we want to be gardeners. Or, maybe even famous gardeners! With the technology we have today, we can make plants grow bigger and healthier. However, not fertilizer, something much more efficient. With that invention we can create one of the best farms on the planet! Especially because of Florida’s rich land helping the growth of the plants.

Witten by: Nathan Janneman and Payton Sweet

Diana & Claire

The first time I met my buddy, Diana, it was interesting. We met at Ms. Wise’s classroom. She greeted me with a grin, and she seemed really nice. I saw her wearing sandals and I thought that she didn’t like to garden, and thought that we didn’t have many similarities.

It turns out that we had many similarities, contrary to what I thought! We made a Venn diagram to see what similarities and differences we had. The reason it was interesting the first time we met was because of our similarities. The similarities we had were that our favorite season is winter and our favorite subject is math. I couldn’t wait to plant!

When I first met Claire, I saw that she was wearing a bandana to cover her hair from the hot blazing sun and sneakers, and I thought that she liked to be outside and garden. I found out that

her favorite color is purple, and likes to play soccer and hula hoop.

We talked about our similarities, and I thought that we weren’t going to have many. We both have a dog, hers being named Kona. We also both have our birthdays on the same date, January 30th. What a coincidence!

My first impressions of the garden were of how alive the gardens planted by the other classes were. The sunflowers were tall giants, reaching a height of two feet. They had bright yellow petals and leaves as course as salt. The petals were also as smooth as silk. I saw ripe red cherry tomatoes in the other gardens and I suddenly got hungry. When I saw our empty garden, I had no hope that anything would grow.

When I first arrived at the garden, I felt the hot blazing sun catch fire to the back of our necks. The garden was organized with rectangular planters, each with a class name and the date in which they started the garden. I smelled the fresh basil and mint as I strolled around the garden with my buddy. The other gardens had colorful flowers and leaves, and when I saw our empty

garden, I didn’t think that anything would grow.

We started off with going to the basil. “I see that there is holes in them, because caterpillars love to eat them,” I stated. “I love basil!” Diana exclaimed. “My mom always uses the basil that we plant at home to use in soup.” “They have a really good taste,” I said. “We could try a little piece,” Diana replied. We both tried a piece of basil and I tasted the strong fresh taste as I nibbled on the green leaf. We walked over to the rosemary. I sniffed the air from the aroma of the rosemary. “I love the scent of rosemary because it reminds me of Christmas trees and Christmas time,” Diana mentioned. “Rosemary reminds me of the time we killed rosemary,” I laughed.

Claire and I cringed as we walked towards the mint. “I hate mint,” Claire said with disgust. “I do too; it has such a lousy taste and I hate all types of peppermint.” We left the mint plants and walled to the other side of the garden, where we couldn’t smell the mint. “Do you like to garden?” I asked her. “I love to garden; I have many fruit trees and a garden in my backyard.” “My grandpa has a plum tree in his backyard, and every summer I pick plums off of his tree and

they taste as sweet as sugar.”

From planting and observing the garden I think that people should use less chemicals and more plants as food. After all, I believe that we should have healthy food so that humans and animals are healthy, especially since I want to be a veterinarian.

Being in the garden I believe that plants are healthy and we should have less processed foods. People would be healthy and have less health problems. A healthy lifestyle would prevent more people from becoming obese. In the future, I hope to be a doctor.

By: Diana Kodra and Claire Opal-Levine

James & Zakil

When I first met Zakil, I was in the garden. When I got to know him, I felt as if we shared many personalities and dream. I felt like he would be a great partner and friend, and I was right! Zakil is very comical, he reminds me of my grandpa, comical and witty. Zakil is diligent and creative in many areas.

When I first met James I liked him because we shared a lot of things and he was very funny like a laughing hyena. When we met in the garden we liked each other as friends and he’s funny and has many of the common dreams I have like being healthy and a good paying job so we are a good buddy pair.

We both want to be fit and happy. We both like sports, and we both want to have a good

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"Gardeners of the Galaxy Volume I"

Name: Gardeners of the Galaxy Volume I
Author: Desiree Schell

Desiree Schell

A collection of collaborative stories by 4th and 7th graders reflecting on their shared experiences in a school garden, exploring themes of mentorship, friendship, and environmental appreciation.

(92 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

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