The Phillip Wright Memorial Garden A place of peace, a place of health, a place to learn and a place worth saving … produced by the staff of the Aegis at Oakland High School, June 2011
May 07, 2015
The Phillip Wright Memorial Garden
A place of peace, a place of health, a place to learn and a place worth saving …
produced by the staff of the Aegis at Oakland High School, June 2011
Beginning of the garden
The garden was planted during the spring of 2010 in honor of Oakland High School student Phillip Wright, who was killed in late 2009. Phillip had a strong passion for gardening.
The Oakland High garden in early 2010 before planting began. Photo/Aegis staff
One year away from graduation … a life lost
Phillip Wright was only 17 when he died.
Wright, a junior, was known for his outgoing personality.
A place of memory, a wealth of healthy vegetables
Among the vegetables planted by resource teacher Amy Wilder and students were tomatoes, eggplants, parsnips, and herbs.
Hand-painted signs help students keep track of where the veggies will sprout. Photo/Aegis staff
Helping students learn
The garden helps students learn about how foods grow, and how they can thrive from the nourishment of fresh, healthy vegetables.
How the garden reaches and teaches students
Encourages students to grow their own foods.
Teaches what photosynthesis does.
Helps us learn how plants make the air we breathe cleaner.
Kevin Davis, who was one of Wright’s friends, waters lettuce in the garden. Photo/Aegis staff
Improving our natural and urban environment
The garden improves the
environment by cleaning the air.
It may also influence
students to create their own
gardens at home.
A student-painted mural decorates
the garden and gives visitors a vision of what students hope to
achieve. Photo/Aegis staff
How the garden improves and preserves open space
We need a garden because it will help us eat healthier and decrease obesity in our community.
The garden will also project a better vibe about our school.
It also shows us that fruits and vegetables can thrive in this environment and overcome obstacles, just as students can.
An unidentified student waters seedlings begun in a grow lab funded by a Donors Choose grant and maintained by students and
resource teacher Amy Wilder. Photo/Aegis staff
How the garden inspiresThe garden shows how
we can unite
to achieve
one goal, which is
to plant
the seeds
of nature,
and watch them thrive.
A sign in the garden urges students to come together to
protect and preserve it. Ongoing construction at
Oakland High has put the garden’s future in jeopardy.
Photo/Aegis staff
For more information
Contac
This presentation was produced by the staff of the Aegis, the student newspaper of Oakland High School,
under the guidance of managing editor Lisa Lac, adviser Lara Trale, and with the help of resource teacher Amy
Wilder. This work is part of a project by the Oaktown Teen Times (www.oaktownteentimes.org), funded by
the Open Circle Foundation.
For more on Oakland High’s campaign to preserve its school garden, see the Aegis at http://oaklandaegis.com
or contact Trale at [email protected]