Lady bugs will swarm the Wayne Garrett Children’s Garden, Lincoln and Sycamore streets, at the tailend of a three-day SAFE BASE summer session.
Angela Henry, SAFE BASE director, told USD 257 board members Monday evening the after-school program had sufficient money for three days of science-based summer activities centering on the garden. The session will be June 18-20.
The finale will have students release as many as 17,000 lady bugs at dusk, with the intention of them feasting on aphids that annually infest gardens hereabouts.
“We want to release the lady bugs at dark so they won’t fly away,” Henry said.
Henry wants to have a sleepover — about 40 kids likely would participate — at the garden, which gave board members pause.
Tony Leavitt, board president, wondered if having the overnight event in a more controlled environment, such as a gymnasium, would be better.
“I agree,” said Richard Burris. “Times are different today, you never know what might happen,” said Buck Quincy.
“I’m OK with a sleepover,” Leavitt added, “and we have time to think about it, and where to have it.” Board members will meet twice more before the three-day session.
Henry said all staff members — nine teachers and 12 paraprofessionals — would be present for the sleepover. She conceded the Lincoln gymnasium, a couple of blocks away, could be an alternative.
Board members — just four of seven were at the meeting — gave Henry thumbs-up to ask the Iola council’s permission to expand the garden across Lincoln Avenue onto a parcel of city-owned land.
She also wants to install a cross-walk, and said grant money might be available for it and development of a garden spot.
The second garden would be devoted to flowers and fruit trees and “more of a beautification project,” Henry said. She envisions others in the community, particularly youth groups, getting involved with SAFE BASE troops in cultivating both gardens and reaping what’s raised.
BRETT LINN, technology director, gave a demonstration of how a fingerprint scanner works and will be used next school year to control student eligibility for the meals program.
The scanner also may be used for other student activities, such as library use.
Students have had lunch cards with bar codes, which can be lost or misused, Linn said. A fingerprint can’t be lost, he said.
Cost of technology to install the program will be a touch under $5,500.
