The Village welcomes special guests

The Village Early Childhood Center is full of children on summer break and to keep their minds active some special guests came out to talk with the kids June 11.

Mike Sitzman from Cross Ministries came to talk with four-year-old’s and school aged kids about the importance of recycling. The four-year-old’s had many questions and stories to share with Sitzman.

“Recycling is very important,” said Sitzman. “It helps our planet and animals.”

The younger children asked what kinds of things were made of plastic and how they could recycle. Their teachers and Sitzman explained that passing baby toys down to a new baby cousin is recycling, or giving some toys to a person who doesn’t have many instead of throwing them in the trash.

The school aged children listened intently and asked good questions of Sitzman and about Cross Ministries. They expressed great interest in what the store is all about.

The school aged children were also visited by their Gardening Grannies and Gramps, a group of retired volunteers representing RSVP Volunteers and the Master Gardeners.

Sandy Logeman, Volunteer Coordinator of Southern Iowa RSVP, has been in charge of the activities for the group that has been helping the school aged children at The Village experience gardening. The group and the children first got together May 31 and have been meeting weekly since and plan to keep the gardening going all summer.

The hands on experience keeps them interested but gardening also involves reading, math and science.

The first week everyone worked by pulling weeds, hoeing and digging to get the ground ready for planting. Potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and flowers were planted and watered which got every child involved.

“One little girl even said that gardening wasn’t her thing, but she joined in with watering and loved it,” said Gardening Gramp and Master Gardener Mike Boldon.

Each child has planted a tomato in a cup and in the weeks to come onions, zucchini and sunflowers will be added to the outdoor garden.

Southern Iowa RSVP Volunteers include Vicki Binning, Deb Hull and Teri McIntire. Master Gardeners are Bike Boldon and Sandy Logeman.

“It is hoped that the students will enjoy gardening, learn more about it and hopefully will be gardeners,” said Boldon.