Monday, May 11, 2015

Atlantic County Council Of Education Association Awards



Retired Mullica Township teacher Susan Polk taught in this rural township for 33 years, and in her six years of retirement, she has been the driving force behind the township’s school district’s award-winning schoolyard garden.

Polk was among four local people given awards by the Atlantic County Council of Education Associations at a gala last week for their dedication to children and education. It was held at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Country Club in Galloway Township.
Township teacher Jacki Lugg nominated Polk, who has lived in the township her whole career, saying the Sustainable Jersey program and school garden wouldn’t have happened without her.
Polk, also a former township committeewoman who got the Sustainable Jersey program going and is still involved in its road cleanup efforts, said the Mullica Township Schools garden has become an authentic outdoor classroom.

Cooking teacher Kim Cavallaro takes her students to the garden to cut produce to use in kitchen recipes; math teacher use it to teach the concept of perimeter and area, and English teachers use it for developing writing prompts for students, she said.
“It has really taken on a life of its own,” Polk said. “We start every single thing from seed. It’s an incredible amount of work, but it’s just terrific to see all of the children involved and so many smiles out there.”
She also volunteers at her grandson’s kindergarten class in Green Bank once a week, she said.
“Once you’re a teacher, you never lose that,” Polk said.
Entire story at
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/michelle_post/everyone-has-a-story-green-thumb-grows-into-teaching-honor/article_88f894d0-f781-11e4-8857-4fd7e1724396.html M11 EHAS Polk
Retired Mullica Township teacher Susan Polk still volunteers in Mullica schools six years into retirement. Here she works with kids in the school garden she pioneered. She was among four people recognized for her dedication to children by the Atlantic County Association of Education Associations.

Related post
http://gadfly01.blogspot.com/2015/05/susan-polk-awarded-friends-of-education.html



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