Newton Math teacher, Marc Goodreau, his Knight-Time students (an elective-style course) and the after-school Garden Club are reaping the benefits of last spring’s planting season. This past April, the students planted 700 seedlings in Newton’s garden, with a goal of producing one ton of food to donate to the Salvation Army’s food pantry. When the seedlings developed enough to transfer, the group planted more than half in the Salvation Army’s garden on Arapahoe Road. The remaining plants were sold in a plant sale with the proceeds going to the Newton Kid Fund.

With careful tending throughout the summer, the garden has yielded 600 pounds of fresh vegetables for the food pantry, with more to come. Whole Foods also partnered with Mr. Goodreau and his students through the bag refund program and donated $2,350 towards the project.

Photo: Plants in hand, Newton students smile for a photo outside the school’s greenhouse with Mr. Goodreau.