St. Pius X students beautify their Prayer Garden, while learning valuable lessons

During November and December, over 100 students from St. Pius X Catholic School have participated in beautifying their schools’ Prayer Garden. 

Last year first-grade teacher Sheree Perkins won one of the Diocese of Corpus Christi Innovation and Teaching Grants by having students create a mural out of bottle caps. This year Perkins, along with Michele Stovall, the fifth-grade teacher, expanded the grant to continue on this project by having students plant flowers using recycled tires and milk cartons. They then created birdhouses with the rest of the recycled milk cartons.

The grant has helped the school move forward with an initiative called “Carton 2 Garden,” a project that allows students to discuss and research plants. The students learn to identify the parts of a plant and what it takes to grow a plant.

Students mimicked the flowers they planted to the flower mural. Creating the mural involved sorting, cleaning, sizing, painting, and attaching bottle caps to the design. The students then planted flowers inside of recycled tires that were spray painted to match the mural colors. 

The shape of the tires also replicates the shape of the bottle caps, creating a more cohesive look of the garden. After formulating a garden plan, students decided to take the remaining cartons and make them into birdhouses. 

Each class decorated the birdhouses in their own fashion. Each child can say that they had a hand in the project, and the garden is used daily by all the children who attend the school. 

Students learned how to care for the earth so that future generations can enjoy God’s creations and beautiful design. Also, the Prayer Garden project demonstrates the use of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math education) disciplines and lessons to advance students’ understanding. It also advances students’ knowledge and understanding of environmental stewardship. The teachers incorporated these lessons to focus on healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Students and teachers are very excited about this and are looking forward to the finished product.

Hopefully, the schools’ unique garden area will endure for years to come.