Tis the Season for gardening and landscaping

A huge thank you to Washington County Farm Bureau, Ruben's Community Gardens and Illinois River Watershed Partnership Group. SWJH is in the process of putting in a community salsa garden. This summer volunteers are welcome to help us in the garden from 8-10 on Monday and Thursday in exchange for some of our delicious produce.

Students started tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro and onions on our super cool grow table.

Students planned, measured and built 3 raised vegetable beds.

Also a big thank you to Sam's Club for helping with our school's landscaping!

Students planted grass around our new curbs and fertilized the lawn. 

Lesson Plans

Check out our weekly lesson plans-

On the Southwest Page go to "lesson plans" on the left. Then go to "electives." Finally, click "Hale."

http://swjh.springdaleschools.org/?sessionid?sessionid=3dbfa2b2615d073409973eae4d1b96c5

Welcome to SWJH

Back to school is one of my favorite seasons of the year. I love the excitement it brings. Students are anticipating meeting their new friends and teachers, the teachers are planning for their new students, and the school comes back to life after a quiet summer.

I am excited about the opportunity to spend our year learning about the fascinating and ever changing world of agriculture. Today we are challenged to provide a growing population with a safer, healthier, and more affordable food supply with less agricultural land.

Food scientists, veterinarians, animal and plant scientists, ag marketing specialists are a few of the agricultural careers we will discuss this year. Agriculture is an ever changing science that will continue grow as long as humans need food, clothing and shelter.

Welcome to agriculture. I am glad you're here. This is going to be a fun year. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. I want my class and SWJH to be your best educational experience.

Visual Communications on the Road in Arkansas

For two weeks, SWJH students have been learning about communications in agriculture. There were three units: photography, writing, and videography. Thanks to UofA Ag Communications for supplying us with the curriculum.

http://aeed.uark.edu/5869.htm

At the end of the unit, UofA brought their computer lab on wheels to SWJH. Students were able to write, film and edit videos promoting agriculture for Youtube.

As soon as the videos are rendered and posted, I'll put a link up for your viewing!

http://www.youtube.com/user/AEEDVisual#p/u/9/hlDxG4tG4f4

http://www.youtube.com/user/AEEDVisual#p/u/10/wjsWb1VLKxc

Thank you, U of A Poultry Science.

A big thank you to U of A Poultry Science Hatchery for supplying us with eggs and an incubator.

Students really enjoyed hatching some Leghorn chicks.

They loved looking at the daily progress on this chart. It is really amazing for them to be able to see the daily progress of the chicks!

Three students were able to take home a couple of chicks. Hopefully, they'll be supplying them with eggs this spring.

Hatching chicks is such a great project. All ages are amazed with the miracle of life!

I Scream. You Scream. We all Scream for Ice Cream.

At the conclusion of our dairy unit, we made ice cream!

It was also spirit week and more specifically, it was pajama day.

*note the trendy clothes!

Here is our secret recipe:

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbls sugar

place in a ziplock bag

Place the ziplock bag in another container that is full of ice and ice cream salt. Shake it like a rock star for 10-15 minutes. Delicious!!