Kaleigh Walker 865 Academies, Career Empowerment, Great Educators, Student Success

Growing Minds, Growing Crops: Schools Cultivate Learning Through Hydroponic Gardens

In a blend of education and agriculture, four Knox County Schools are harnessing the power of hydroponic farming. 

Thanks to a partnership with the KCS Coordinated School Health team, Gresham Middle, Farragut Intermediate, Halls Elementary, and Carter Elementary are using cutting-edge hydroponic systems to grow crops including cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, mini bell peppers, and basil. 

This hands-on learning experience allows students to engage with science, sustainability, and social responsibility in exciting ways.

Before diving into farming, students conducted in-depth research to understand hydroponic techniques and made predictions about plant growth. 

They also explored the important role of empathy, with one school planning to donate its produce to an organization that helps supply food to underserved communities in food deserts. 

This act of service is teaching students valuable lessons about giving back and making a positive impact on their communities.

For Gresham Middle’s Kimberly Mays, the impact of the hydro farm extends beyond the classroom. 

“Our hydroponic farm has been a game changer. Watching our kids take the instruction and teach each other the process has been amazing. Each student plays a vital role in the growth and care of our plants,” Mays said. “The hydro farm has strengthened their teamwork and curiosity about applying classroom ideas to real-world applications.”

In addition to their agricultural work, students integrate lessons from other subjects, like social studies, where they learn about the government’s role in regulating food safety and ensuring that what we eat is safe and healthy.

Some of the crops grown will also be donated to the schools’ cafeterias, further enriching the students’ understanding of how locally-grown food can impact their daily lives. 

Gresham Middle took it one step further by making pickles from their bumper crop of cucumbers, turning their harvest into a blend of science, creativity, and food preparation.

Through this project, Knox County Schools are not only teaching students about agriculture and sustainability, but also about empathy, community, and the importance of nourishing both mind and body.

Success for Every Student

Knox County Schools is dedicated to Success for Every Student. All students have unique abilities, needs, personalities, and ambitions. KCS is committed to equipping every student with the individualized services, interventions, resources, and supports needed to succeed – no matter their zip code, culture, or financial resources.

Kaleigh Walker Community Partners

Miss Patty Shares School Bus Safety Tips and Encourages Community to Answer the Call

Students at schools in Farragut call her Miss Patty, the lady who drives the big yellow school bus.

Patty Braden, a retiree who followed her daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons to Tennessee from California, decided two years ago that she wanted to return to work. Her daughter suggested becoming a school bus driver.

“I thought, ‘Could I drive a school bus?’ Well, I knew I love kids,” she said. “I interviewed, got the job, went to school, and here I am. I love it!”

She especially loves connecting with different age groups and getting to know the names of all 60+ kids each year. She tells them “Happy Birthday” and decorates the bus with holiday decorations. Students sing songs together and share stories on the PA system.

“We have a diverse group of children,” Braden said. “Last year, we learned to count to ten in Chinese, Polish, French, Russian, and Spanish. We just have fun!”

As much fun as she and her passengers have each day, she stresses safety for a tragic reason. Braden lost a young family member due to a car failing to follow school bus laws.

Morgan was crossing the street to get on a bus that was stopped with flashing lights and an extended stop sign. An oncoming car sped past the bus and struck her. 

It is for this reason Braden, like so many others, emphasizes the importance of safety, especially during National School Bus Safety Week. 

In her bus, she ensures cars from all directions are at a complete stop before opening the doors to let students off. 

“I’m probably a little extra cautious when my kids are getting on and off the bus,” Braden said. “We all have busy lives, but people in vehicles have to stop.”

In addition to advocating for school bus safety, she also encourages more people to become bus drivers. Drivers have hours of free time between runs, days off when students are off, and work with amazing students each day. 

“This is giving back to the kids of our futures. We need drivers just like the schools need aids,” Braden said. “Come do a ride-along on a bus to see if you’d like it. We’ll show you what we do. It’s not that bad; it’s actually that good!”

Learn more about how to be a safe driver around school buses here, and find more information about how to become a driver here!

Kaleigh Walker Community Partners, Great Educators, Student Success

Artsonia Names Addelynn Slinger “Artist Of The Week”

Addelynn Slinger won Artsonia’s Artist of the Week competition. Pictured with Ebru Ekici (left) and Christy Davis (right).

Farragut Intermediate’s Addelynn Slinger was named the Artsonia Artist of the Week out of hundreds of thousands of student artwork submissions.

Artsonia is an online gallery for student art and a hub for teacher lesson plans and resources. Out of the 247,000 pieces of artwork uploaded to Artsonia that week, Slinger’s piece was randomly selected for the Artist of the Week competition.

“We have a really great community, so our PTO put it on Facebook, and we sent it out to parents, and we voted,” Farragut Intermediate art teacher Christy Davis said. “We voted in class, so that was cool about having the Chromebooks in class because we had them log in and vote each day.”

Slinger won the competition with over 1,500 votes, which earned her and her classroom a gift card to Blick Art Materials. She said she was “really excited” to win and already purchased art supplies for her growing hobby. 

“Ms. Davis really helped me create this. I kept asking her if this looked good, or if I need to fix anything,” Slinger said. “My friends helped me think of ideas to make my artwork better.”

Davis incorporated Artsonia into her classroom over a decade ago so students will be able to look back on their school art projects. The only piece of artwork she has from her childhood is a mug she keeps on her desk, and she wants her students to be able to upload their work onto a permanent database so they can hold onto their childhood memories longer. 

Davis and fellow FIS art teacher Ebru Ekici have their students upload every assignment they finish in art class. 

“We put everything on there, good or bad,” Davis said. “Put everything up there and be proud of what you did and accomplished.”

Uploading the work online also builds other skills, such as photography and photo editing. 

“They need to write, come up with a creative title, artist statement,” Ekici said. “It’s not only making art and putting it there but learning how to communicate and share it with others.”

The longstanding relationship with Artsonia may be growing in the coming years. 

“We are going to be a pilot program in the district for Artsonia,” Davis said. “It’s the first time they’re going to have a gallery for our district because we’ve been involved a lot.”

Davis hopes more schools in the district will use Artsonia in their classrooms and believes this pilot program might be just the encouragement they need.

View Slinger’s winning piece here.