The meeting was called to order by Presidents Beth Allen and Susan Warshaw.  First on the agenda was a presentation on a proposed 50th anniversary gift to the Pennekamp community. 

Marika Bergsund of the MBUSD Growing Great program and Howard Allegan of the Manhattan Beach Pea Patch Community Garden (father of a former Pennekamp student and an implementer of the current 5th grade garden beds) presented a proposal to the Pennekamp PTA detailing how the land just north of Room 25 could be turned into a campus Growing Great Garden. (A printable version of the DRAFT garden diagram below is available at http://www.pkpta.org/fliers/garden.pdf.) 

The Pennekamp garden will contain approximately 18 beds which will allow all Pennekamp classrooms to have a place to plant items in conjunction with curriculum standards for their grade level.  It will be fully irrigated with fresh water and also have space for a shed to store gardening supplies, a teaching area (circles represent tree stumps where the students will be able to sit) and a table.  A special entry way to commemorate the 50th anniversary will be created.

The western portion of the garden will be for community garden plots.  These beds are implemented and tended for by community members who have to go through all the necessary screening to allow them to work near children.  Marika indicated that both the Pacific and Meadows Growing Great gardens are in conjunction with Pea Patch community gardens and this works extremely well.  Community gardeners support the Growing Great program, volunteer in the school gardens, and assist with upkeep when school is not in session.  Also, the city has provided fencing and other assistance at Pacific and Meadows gardens since the facility benefits both the city and the schools.

On the left is a view from the walkway near room 25 looking toward the cinder block wall that is the northern most boundary of the garden.  On the right is a photo looking back from half way across the proposed garden toward the cement walkway.

On the left is a view from the cement walkway near room 25 toward the northwestern boundary of the garden and on the right is a view looking toward the southwestern boundary from half way across the proposed garden.

The Pennekamp PTA voted unanimously to present this garden to the school as a 50th anniversary gift and work will proceed as soon as winter break begins.  The land will be cleared and graded, an irrigation system laid out, and fencing and planting beds will be installed.  The first plantings are intended to take place in February and we expect to have a beautiful garden to present at the 50th anniversary celebration in May!

Please note: Now that the project has been approved, the final garden layouts are being created in conjunction with the contractor who will need to grade the land.  Some of the items in the diagram may need to relocate in order to make optimal use of the plot's features.

Next on the agenda was MBUSD Director of Educational Services and Technology, Carolyn Seaton.  She presented information on Pennekamp's state test results as well as an overview of MBMS and MCHS results.  You can view her charts at http://www.manhattan.k12.ca.us/edsvc/pp/pp-pk.pdf.