A Proud GWHS tradition - Go Green Day
For the last ten years, the GWHS community has come together on a Saturday in April to accomplish major upgrades to the outdoor campus. The tradition started in 2008. A group of parents had recently formed - the GW Grounds Committee - to plan improvements to GW’s huge outdoor campus. GW has one of the largest public school footprints in the state, but years of budget-cutting had left the grounds sorely in need of some love. The first major project of the Grounds Committee was to plant 14 trees and clear the boxes in the south courtyard, which were filled then only with thigh-high weeds and lots of trash. There were 125 student, teachers, administration and alumni volunteers. The students included student leaders, athletes, students seeking community service hours, special education students and many other groups from the student body. The day was hugely successful and great fun, ending with pizza for lunch . . . and a GW tradition began.
Every year since, the community has come together for an annual April outdoor campus project, which is now known as Go Green Day. Over this time, we have added over 80 trees to the grounds, of many different species, and have transformed the planting beds on the north, south and east of the building. One year, as part of a student initiated project, we planted an orchard, which thrives on the Leetsdale side of campus and has already produced some fruit. Over several years, we planned and participated in projects which transformed the North Entrance to the school. This door to the school is now used as the main entry, but over fifty years ago was originally designed primarily as a loading dock. We have added a gateway, planting beds and lighting, which makes arrival at the school a much more enjoyable experience than it was before the improvements. Last April, we did the major, final work installing a community garden by the greenhouse. Plots are used by the Grow Club, the DPS Garden of Youth program and community members who rent plots. It was such a joy to return to the school this past fall and see the thriving produce gardens.
Each of our Go Green Days has generated lots of memories for members of the GW Grounds Committee and volunteers who have participated. The one that stands out most forcefully in my mind was in April 2009 when a wet blizzard shut down the Denver Digs Trees distribution. We decided to forge ahead and planted 15 trees that day! We were so proud of our valiant volunteers and I am sure each will always remember which tree they planted on that snowy day. Almost always, however, the weather gods are with us and we enjoy our pizza lunch outdoors in sunshine.
The Grounds Committee is gearing up for our eleventh April outdoor campus event on April 21, 2018. The morning starts at 8 a.m. and ends with pizza at 12:30 pm. Stay tuned for sign-up information. We would love to have help from students, student groups, teachers, staff, alumni and community members. We promise it will be one of your all-time favorite service projects. And, you will see the results at GW every time you pass by!
Lee Ann Huntington for the GW Grounds Committee
For more information: lee.ann.huntington@gmail.com
For the last ten years, the GWHS community has come together on a Saturday in April to accomplish major upgrades to the outdoor campus. The tradition started in 2008. A group of parents had recently formed - the GW Grounds Committee - to plan improvements to GW’s huge outdoor campus. GW has one of the largest public school footprints in the state, but years of budget-cutting had left the grounds sorely in need of some love. The first major project of the Grounds Committee was to plant 14 trees and clear the boxes in the south courtyard, which were filled then only with thigh-high weeds and lots of trash. There were 125 student, teachers, administration and alumni volunteers. The students included student leaders, athletes, students seeking community service hours, special education students and many other groups from the student body. The day was hugely successful and great fun, ending with pizza for lunch . . . and a GW tradition began.
Every year since, the community has come together for an annual April outdoor campus project, which is now known as Go Green Day. Over this time, we have added over 80 trees to the grounds, of many different species, and have transformed the planting beds on the north, south and east of the building. One year, as part of a student initiated project, we planted an orchard, which thrives on the Leetsdale side of campus and has already produced some fruit. Over several years, we planned and participated in projects which transformed the North Entrance to the school. This door to the school is now used as the main entry, but over fifty years ago was originally designed primarily as a loading dock. We have added a gateway, planting beds and lighting, which makes arrival at the school a much more enjoyable experience than it was before the improvements. Last April, we did the major, final work installing a community garden by the greenhouse. Plots are used by the Grow Club, the DPS Garden of Youth program and community members who rent plots. It was such a joy to return to the school this past fall and see the thriving produce gardens.
Each of our Go Green Days has generated lots of memories for members of the GW Grounds Committee and volunteers who have participated. The one that stands out most forcefully in my mind was in April 2009 when a wet blizzard shut down the Denver Digs Trees distribution. We decided to forge ahead and planted 15 trees that day! We were so proud of our valiant volunteers and I am sure each will always remember which tree they planted on that snowy day. Almost always, however, the weather gods are with us and we enjoy our pizza lunch outdoors in sunshine.
The Grounds Committee is gearing up for our eleventh April outdoor campus event on April 21, 2018. The morning starts at 8 a.m. and ends with pizza at 12:30 pm. Stay tuned for sign-up information. We would love to have help from students, student groups, teachers, staff, alumni and community members. We promise it will be one of your all-time favorite service projects. And, you will see the results at GW every time you pass by!
Lee Ann Huntington for the GW Grounds Committee
For more information: lee.ann.huntington@gmail.com