Students learn to compost in hands-on lesson
CRANBERRY TWP — Students at Rowan Elementary School are learning a lesson on composting that teacher Angela Cardillo hopes will spread throughout the building.
Cardillo started a pilot program that involves in two classes adding scraps, dirt, worms and other items not native to the usual classroom to a black bin in front of the school.
Students in her second grade classroom and the fourth grade classroom of Jenny Fiscus bring fruit, vegetables and other appropriate kitchen scraps to school in sandwich bags on a designated day and are led to the compost bin by Cardillo or Fiscus.
The students open the hatch and dump the contents of the bags inside before using the handle on the end of the elevated bin to give the decomposing items inside a vigorous spin.
On Friday, students came up with a catchy tune as they cranked the handle back and forth instead of around in a circle.
“Rock it like a ba-by! Rock it like a ba-by!” they shouted in unison as the bin swung one way, then another.
Second-grader Bella Tuland dumped in a small bag of mud she brought in from her family’s backyard that hid a handful of worms Bella had dug up.
“My sister didn’t want to help me,” Bella said with a giggle.
She understands exactly why the earthworms are beneficial in the bin.
“They decompose all the scraps in there,” Bella said. “Compost makes better soil for planting.”
She hopes to convince her family to start composting at home now that the weather has warmed up.
Henry Cecchetti, a Rowan fourth-grader, said there have been benefits to installing the compost bin that do not involve creating rich, nutrient-filled soil.
“It’s fun to see all of us working together at the bin,” Henry said.
He was surprised to learn that adding “brown“ items like dirt or leaves and ”green“ items like vegetable peelings can create so much microbial action that the bin actually steams.
“It’s important for the environment, considering how compost is really healthier than dirt itself,” Henry said.
Eliana Kang, a second-grader, agreed.
“Compost is good for the environment because it will help grow more plants,” Eliana said. “It’s more healthy and soft soil so it will help grow the plants better.”
She said healthy plants mean a better overall environment.
“The Earth would stay healthy and animals will have a habitat, food and oxygen,” Eliana said.
Gabriella Foster said she learned that “green” items, while vital to creating compost, will make it too hot if too many are added.
Gabriella gathers scraps at her home and brings them in to deposit in the compost bin.
Cardillo said the compost bin was purchased by the Rowan Elementary Parent-Teacher Association and the compost will be used in six garden boxes built by Rowan parents over the summer in the school’s “learning garden.”
Cardillo worried that the process that creates the compost in the bin would stop when the bin froze in the winter.
“But sure enough, we looked in there, and it was dirt!” Cardillo said.
She said lessons and vocabulary words related to composting were included in the two classes’ curriculum, and a former master gardener came in to give the students a presentation about compost.
The students also created flyers and artwork to notify their classmates and parents during the Rowan Open House about the composting project, which was announced over the school’s public address system, as well.
“It’s the importance of being a good steward of the Earth and being a good citizen,” Cardillo said.
She hopes to expand the program to the cafeteria next year, where all Rowan students can deposit their fresh food scraps into a compost bin.
