Little Creature Finds a Safe Place At Terraset!

A team of people were weeding in the Terraset Butterfly Garden this evening, trying to get things tidy in anticipation of Open House at 2:30pm tomorrow. We are very happy to confirm that the garden has become exactly the safe environment for plants and small creatures we had hoped it would.

Rising 1st graders Amia, Julia and Jack were very excited when they found this baby box turtle in the garden. We are guessing that it is only a month or two old, and given that it is so small, it was most likely born in the garden. That suggests there must be other turtles in the garden too! It seems we are providing exactly the protective habitat these little creatures need!

Designed by one of our members, the garden has been established and maintained by our children, staff, and parents. The Butterfly Garden was created with the support of the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats® Program and provides enriching and interactive educational opportunities that foster enthusiasm in the school's students and educators alike.

We Have Just the Place to Sit!

Last Saturday, a group of hardworking friends of Terraset gathered on the school roof to make their mark! A beautiful new seating area has now been established for our children. The kids will be able to go there with their teacher to discuss, observe and explore plant life cycles, the role of insects in a garden, issues of urbanization, how to tell the time using shadows… there’s so much potential now that we have our new outdoor classroom.

With Lorin Randall as the project manager and Mark Shoff as his right-hand man, about 15 adult volunteers, five high school community service volunteers, and nearly ten K-4 Terraset kids (in addition to two future students) made a fantastic contribution. At 8am we started digging… we were still digging at 10am! The digging had virtually finished by 11am, but then we started carrying! Carrying #21A gravel, carrying blocks, carrying sand, carrying #57 gravel, carrying blocks, carrying more gravel, carrying pavers…. There was a lot of carrying. But there was a lot of leveling too! Leveling blocks, leveling sand, leveling pavers… but how sweet it is to see the result!

You can read a little more about our day at RestonPatch

Fortunately we got to eat too! Ledos provided pizza for all the workers! A big thanks to them! And the PTA kept up the water, Gatorade and fruit!

As we were getting close to the finish, we realized we were short of #21A gravel so a quick call to Chris Worhurst at Merrifields Garden Center and 30 minutes later we had what we needed.

There is still a little extra to do with the paving and we need to install a bench. But more importantly, we still have some cleanup to do. There is quite a bit of dirt we will need to relocate and there is a patch of grass we will cut (because we had our materials there, the custodial staff could not cut it on Friday). We will also do some grass re-seeding and plantings behind the retaining wall to provide additional shade. But, hopefully, it will all be done before Open House.

If you go to Open House, don’t forget to go up to the butterfly garden and check out the new area! You’ll enjoy the view. If you are there at about 3:30pm, your kids could help to spread a few wildflower seeds… then they would be able to leave their mark too!

We Have Powdery Mildew--YIKES!

From Kim Lowther, Chair Grounds and Natural Connections

Hi Garden Buddies!

This is a call to arms for our pumpkin patch! Unfortunately it’s not as simple as weeds—we have a powdery mildew situation which is very common and very difficult to get rid of on pumpkin plants. Currently we have 23 pumpkins that are fist size or better and have a fighting chance but if we continue to lose leaf cover on the vines to rot we won’t grow any more pumpkins. So here is the plan.

I did some research on an organic gardening web forum,
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg072039386315.html, where I found a "baking soda method" and a "milk method" to treat all the vines (every bed has this problem). I will try both methods! If you have any other suggestions please send them my way.

I’ll try to keep the plants alive so the kids starting school can at least see all the pumpkins that we grew. However, if the pumpkins start to rot I will pick them and keep them dry at my house then, perhaps we can display them in the display case at Terrasest’s entrance when the kids come back to school.

Hope every one is enjoying the last vestiges of summer!!

Look Out for Deer Poop!

From Kim Lowther, Grounds and Natural Connections Chair

I wanted to let everyone know that I’m keeping track of the yellowing leaves on some of the pumpkin plants to make sure it isn’t a disease or nutrient deficiency. I am including a website that shows pictures of leaves that are diseased or deficient in nutrients: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/cucurbitproblemsolver/leaf. I also found a website that gives suggestions to avoid powdery mildew that may form on the leaves in times of abundant rain and humidity, such as we have had lately: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/disease.htm. One thing to note, is that watering is recommended during the morning or day so that the leaves have time to dry out or watering just around the base of the vine.

I did see some deer poop on Monday but haven’t noticed any major chewing on blossoms or leaves (I’m more concerned about the deer eating the blossoms that develop into pumpkins—if you see the new growth pumpkins starting to disappear, let me know. I can cover the plants with netting, which may help).

So far we have at least several pumpkins growing large and green and at least three gourds. I hope we have at least thirty pumpkins and gourds when all is said and done. The rising first graders will definitely get to see the “fruit” of their labor come this fall—YAY!

Lastly, I’m removing the diseased tomato plant—it isn’t growing any more flowers and any that did grow did not pollinate. So I’m going to pull it out completely. The cherry tomatoes are growing like gang busters so please feel free to pick and eat when it’s your turn to take care of the garden.

Hope you're having a wonderful summer!

We have Pumpkins!

From Kim Lowther, Gounds and Natural Connections Chair

Hi Garden Buddies!

The pumpkin patch is growing like crazy! I went by and did some grass cutting around the beds so the pumpkins have a place to spread out without getting weed wacked or cut by any of the maintenance staff. So far, so good! I did count about 10, or more, little pumpkins already growing and also many new tiny ones starting to grow at the end of the vines. I also discovered that the pumpkin plant I planted by the stairs is growing gourds! I can’t wait to see how many pumpkins and gourds we get by next fall—maybe we can have a PTA raffle for the Kindergartners that helped plant them last year—I’m sure we can come up with some creative way to give them out!

Thank you everyone for all your hard work. The garden is doing great. I did put another fertilizer treatment on the plants that will absorb slowly when it rains so I hope this helps with continued health and growth over the next few months as the pumpkins develop. It was organic. I also saw a few weeds beginning to pop up at the edges of the beds so keep your eyes open for any new tiny plants poking their way through the soil (they had extraordinarily long tap roots, so they must of grown from the grass that we rototilled before we planted the beds).

We also have lots of cherry tomatoes starting to grow so help yourselves as they get ripe. I think the tomato plant that is growing large tomatoes is diseased. The stem is not looking healthy and it is just now starting to grow flowers—which is very late. So I have removed some of the branches that look particularly bad and left the ones that had flowers—we’ll have to see if these grow any tomatoes.

Lastly, I want to ask everyone’s opinion on eradicating some of the wild milkweed that we have. It’s taking over everywhere there is space. At first I was thinking we could confine it to just the corner where it is most prevalent, but now I’m thinking maybe we should try to remove it all together so we don’t keep having the issue of it spreading out so much. If you are not sure which plant I mean, it has a red stem and slender green leaves and grows seed pods that are long and slender and hang down from the branches—we did have one I left where I planted the gourd plant but I pulled it for fear that it would take over where the gourd plant should grow. Anyway, if you have an opinion, I would love to hear it.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!!

2010 Terraset Earth Day Carnival

The 2010 Terraset Earth Day Carnival was a great success! Enjoy the slideshow!

Celebrate Earth, Celebrate Terraset.

With Earth Day celebrations all around the country, Terraset remembers its “earthy” beginnings and celebrates too!

April 12, 2010 (Reston, VA): Terraset Elementary School’s Earth Day Carnival is back and will be even bigger and better this year. Scheduled for Sunday, April 25, this fun-filled, inexpensive, family event promises enjoyment for people of all ages. Held at Terraset Elementary School in Reston, (Ridge Heights Rd, off Soapstone Drive), the Carnival seeks to highlight Earth Day while bringing together its students (both present and past) and their friends and families. Terraset (meaning “set in the earth”) was built using an energy-conscious design over thirty years ago, hot on the heels of the original Earth Day in 1970.

The Earth Day Carnival will feature a variety of affordably priced rides, games and prizes. There will also be a Silent Auction, Cake Walk, and Tie Dying. Other offerings include non-profit groups and service clubs information tables and an array of convenience foods ranging from pizza and hot dogs to popcorn and other snacks.

Hosted by the Terraset PTA and Terraset family volunteers, the proceeds raised from the event will go towards Terraset’s educational supplies, afterschool programs and technology needs.
Discounted pre-paid carnival tickets are now available. Buy three tickets for $1 if pre-paid, or two tickets for $1 at the door. Typically, you will need 2-3 tickets for food, 1-2 tickets for games, and 3-5 tickets for rides.

The Earth Day fun kicks off at 11:30am with the Terraset Kool Katz 5k -- a 5k (or 1k if you prefer) Family Fun Run through the trails of Reston. A Silent Auction begins at 12 noon just as the Carnival is opening. Sponsored by Potomac Running Store, Whole Foods and Terraset PTA, this great day of family fun is one you won’t want to miss!

For more information, email terrasetpta@comcast.net or contact Traci Waller at 703-391-0206.

Board of Supervisors vs. School Board

So who do we contact - Board of Supervisors or School Board?

What a great question! I hope I can do it a bit of justice, from a long-term resident perspective.

The [Fairfax County] Board of Supervisors (BoS) and the School Board (SB) are both elected bodies. The BoS runs as party-affiliated (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent) while the SB does not. It used to be (back in the '80's and before) that the BoS appointed the SB and there was a much more "cooperative" nature to their relationship, but at the expense of fully and fairly representing the needs of the residents as elected officials do.

In good times, everyone is happy and only vieing for a chunk of the overflowing 16" pie of tax revenues. In bad times, it is a more "every interest for itself" mentality and the boards often seem contentious, because they are -- everyone needs a bite from the proverbial pie that, in this budget cycle, has shrunk from a 16" to a 12" very tart apple variety.

While the Board of Supervisors' support for the school budget is essential, it is not the first step in the process. If you look at the FCPS Budget calendar (see http://fcps.edu/news/fy2011.htm) there is a page of notes that outlines the timeline. While making your opinions known to the BoS members isn't a bad idea (and you could send them a cc: of the letter you send to the Superintendent and School Board members), they are not very interested in expending any political capital on the school budget issue until they have to in March. They are hoping that the SB will take some of the heat and only put forth a budget that is responsive to the current lack of revenues.

But, hopefully, the SB members will see that they have the support of the community and essentially "pass the buck" to the BoS by supporting a fully-funded, needs-based budget.

Letters to Dr. Dale, the Superintendent, and to the SB will provide them with the political support they need to make the difficult decision to request a fully funded budget. Imagine, what incentive would either board have to support such a budget in such a tight revenue year it if there was not a broad, grass-roots effort to do so?

Very often you will hear the argument made by any/all elected officials that less than 25% of the county's households have children in school, so why should they focus solely on the needs of those residents above the others? (And, by the way, voters between the age of 25-45 have the WORST voting record in this county next to 18-25 year-olds (particularly for coming out to vote for local officials -- Board of Supervisors, School Board). So, looking at the demographics, what political purpose is served if the BoS members worry more about the schools than they do the police, roads, parks or other county services that voters are interested in?

Fair is in the eye of the beholder.

One of my [new] arguments against this mentality is: how much revenue do the families in this county generate? Maybe we don't have the most significant impact on real estate taxes, but without our incomes going into the economy I doubt, very seriously, that this county would be what it is today (for better -- schools -- or for worse -- traffic).

The best way to ensure that the county address the needs of the school system is to focus on contacting the Superintendent and SB at this point. Make sure they know you support them, and try to get everyone (especially those that do not have children in schools, but support school funding to ensure the best possible quality of our neighborhoods) to provide encouragement for a fully-funded, needs-based budget. Without it we are sunk. And, for added impact, cc: your BoS member; the members at large; and the Chair, Sharon Bulova; on any correspondence sent in support of a fully-funded, needs-based budget being put forward by Superintendent Jack Dale.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Culbertson
Parent to two FCPS students - Kilmer MS and GC Marshall HS
Currently serving as GC Marshall Band Parent Organization Vice President
Former FCPS Elem. Teacher: Kent Gardens Elem. '04-07; Louise Archer ES '07-09
Wife of Langley HS Physics Teacher estraordinaire, Rob Culbertson
GC Marshall Graduate '83

See FY 2011 Budget Information Sheet for email addreses of BoS and SB members.