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Short Elementary garden part of the Eat Well Feel Well program

It’s true – if you eat well, you feel well.����

That’s why Short Elementary fifth grade students broke ground on another garden and nutrition project in ɫ��������һ���������� as a part of the program.����

Implemented by the , the school is one of 11 Tarrant County campuses selected to participate in the project this year.��

“We are so excited to be back in Arlington helping families improve their nutrition through gardening education this year,” said Eat Well Feel Well coordinator Melanie Earley.�� “We have returned to Rankin Elementary this year and we have expanded our reach to Key, Short and Goodman elementaries as well.”��

Funded by the grant, the 10-week program empowers students and their families to grow their own fruits and veggies while adopting healthier lifestyles.��

“We will be teaching students and their families how to maintain a vegetable garden and the nutrition it provides with fun cooking classes,” Earley said.��“Families who attend adult classes on these campuses this fall will be receiving a free bag of groceries for every class that they attend, plus we are going to be talking about ways to be more active as a family, portion control, saving at the grocery store and most importantly how to keep food safe.”��

Thanks to the grant, students and staff were equipped with all the necessary tools and materials to begin constructing planter boxes for their soon-to-be lettuce, beans and carrot crops.��

“It ties into our science curriculum really nicely,” said Short Elementary principal Betsy Berkebile. “Fifth grade takes the science STAAR test, so we thought they would be a good group to see science hands-on and making those real-world connections.”��

In addition to supporting academics, the Short Elementary garden also fosters greater family engagement.��

“The opportunity for our students and parents to learn about health and nutrition is so exciting,” Berkebile said. “It’s such a wonderful way to get families involved in the community. I can’t wait to see how our garden grows!”��