Sussex Academy educator speaks at school gardens event

Don Ott, a Sussex Academy Elementary math and science teacher and garden coordinator, was a featured speaker Nov. 5 at the Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids Meet Our Heroes event.

The event brought together educators and supporters of the garden education initiative.

Overseen by Ott, Sussex Academy elementary students regularly plant and harvest vegetables in the school’s on-campus garden with support from HFHK. Students recently harvested radishes, bok choy, kale, collard greens and cool-weather lettuce.

The garden is more than a plot of dirt, Ott explained at the event. “It's a foundation for healthier lives, smarter learning and a stronger, more connected school community,” he said.

“One of my students was placed in charge of holding open the collection bag as students added their hand-picked produce,” Ott said. “He was functioning as my quality control and reminded other students to be careful with cutting above the dirt and making sure no other leaves were getting into our salad.”

The student helped carry in and weigh the produce, and record each measurement, Ott said.

“He wasn't just performing math; he was operating a real-world supply chain,” Ott said. “This moment showed me that our garden also functions as the great equalizer: It gives every single child a chance to excel in a way they might not in a desk and chair.”

The most powerful impact the school garden has had is on the school’s culture of nutrition and shared responsibility, Ott said.

“It has become a tangible, living classroom that every grade level owns,” Ott said. “Students are now advocates, proudly proclaiming, ‘I grew that!’ when they see their items brought into our school and served during lunch.”

Students take ownership in every part of the process besides the cooking, Ott said. Older kids actively help younger ones plant, harvest, wash and prep materials, and also help in the plating process.

Students learn about the sustainability of growing their own food, an especially important skill, Ott said.

“It brings me so much joy hearing my students come back into school sharing how they have now started growing their own gardens after sharing their enthusiasm with their families,” Ott said. “The spark of joy their message instills always reminds me of some of my favorite childhood memories in the garden with my grandparents and father.”

Ott encouraged any school considering starting an HFHK-supported education program to go for it. Gardens bring science to life, he said, as students don’t just read about plant life cycles or ecosystems; they witness them unfold every day.

The garden also teaches the life skills of responsibility, teamwork, delayed gratification and resilience – lessons that can’t be learned in a textbook, Ott said. Ffinally, gardens promote wellness, physical activity and better nutritional habits.

Sussex Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Georgetown.