5th Grade Resource Room Going Green!
Posted on 03/09/2026
The Indian Lake Middle School 5th Grade Resource Room is going green!
Earlier this year, Miss Cassie Sullivan's class received a $1,700 Community Wellness grant from Mary Rutan Hospital. Sullivan used the money to purchase everything needed to start an indoor smart garden including a Gardyn 4.0 Hydroponic device, 30 plants, Gardyn Dolly, Gardyn
Nursery, Supply of Hydroboost, 1 year membership of Kelby AI Assistant, plant belts, and trellis.
Students in Sullivan's class assembled the Gardyn and planted the seedlings when they returned from winter break. And now they are reaping what they've sowed! Recently, they harvested several different types of lettuce for their own tasty lunchtime salads.
5th grader Ethan Gootee says it was delicious, "It tasted so good!" He continued, "It's fun that we get to take care of the plants. We used to have a garden at home and I don't like when the plants die."
Miss Sullivan says the project supports healthy eating, "This helps students understand through hands-on experiences where food comes from and how it grows, and
gain knowledge about nutrition."
In addition, the garden is improving mental health for the class by connecting with nature and their senses.
"Smelling, touching, tasting, and seeing
the plants grow creates positive experiences for students with mental health issues. The
students can take ownership, have a goal and see the results. They have a sense of pride in the growth of the garden and they can share their successes with
others, resulting in an increase in their self-esteem."
Before harvesting, students must clean and take care of the plants by making sure there's fresh water and plant food, inspecting the roots and pruning leaves. In addition to lettuce, they also have strawberry plants, sunflowers, basil, cucumbers, kohlrabi, cauliflower, dill, celery and cilantro growing in the garden. Sullivan says the kiddos love to watch time lapse video created by the included app to see how much the garden grows over the weekends or when they are not in school.
All ILMS fifth graders will benefit from this project later in the year as science classes delve into photosynthesis and even hydroponics.