WALLOWA — Students in the Wallowa School District have spent the school year learning from a variety of sources, but as it draws to a close they took a different approach — a hands-on approach.

Students began working the morning on Friday, June 3, and spent a couple of hours doing various projects to help the community. One of the projects was planting a garden at the Wallowa River House, an 11-bed residential treatment facility for individuals with severe physical and mental health issues.

“We are planting a garden,” said Brandy Bronson, a fourth grade teacher. “A former resident at the River House passed away and there is an area filled with wildflowers, so we are going to repaint the sign there and clean it up.”

The community garden will be directly behind the space dedicated to former longtime resident Doug Yarger, which will allow for a partnership with the Wallowa River House. In addition to cleaning up the flowers, students will repaint a sign that says, “Doug’s Garden.”

Students planted a variety of fruits and vegetables that will be monitored and eventually used throughout the summer and fall. Seeds and plants were donated by the Oregon State University Extension Service and a nursery for the project.

“I wanted to see the garden project get up and going, and I am also doing our summer school program,” Bronson said. “Ann Bloom with Extension is going to come down to help us care for the garden, talk about the fruits and vegetables and provide some nutrition lessons.”

The project also allows older students to lead and work with younger ones to make sure tasks are done while taking ownership in the work.

Bronson hopes her next class of fourth graders will harvest the bounty of the garden in the fall. It is a learning lesson from plant to pick, Bronson said. In the future, she would like high school students to build and donate some raised beds that can be used at the garden site on an annual basis.

The garden wasn’t the only project students took part in. Students also took on cleaning up Evans Park in Wallowa.

Bronson said working on projects is an important way students can give back to the community, but it also strengthens the bond between the community and the school. It often leads to new partnerships and benefits for both sides.

The work being done highlights the theme of community and service that has been the focus of the last month of classes. The theme at the beginning and end of each school year incorporates all the students in the Wallowa School District. Students are broken into family groups and have readings and activities that highlight the theme.

“Family groups consist of a couple of adults and then a cross group of different aged students,” Bronson said. “Our sixth graders usually become the leaders, and we are trying to build a community within our school so the kids are familiarizing themselves with other students from other grades.”

It instills leadership qualities in the older students and you see how some of the younger students who may not be as confident can lean on them, Bronson said.

Wallowa Middle School conducts monthly assemblies bringing together students in kindergarten through sixth grade where students are honored for exemplifying the characteristics that are being promoted each month. Other themes during the school year include respect and friendship, teamwork and responsibility, and welcoming and acceptance.

Staff select the themes at the beginning of each school year so it allows for instruction to incorporate the ideas and adjust as events dictate.

”These are things we are hoping to instill in our students,” Bronson said. “It also has created a sense of school spirit and family at Wallowa.”