Freedom Come Rain

St. Mary’s Primary School is over 180 years old and is ensconced in the hills of Above Rocks district in St. Catherine. Most of the teachers would have attended this same educational institution with the parents and relatives of the children they serve, so it is a close-knit family setting in which young minds are being moulded and nurtured. I met Jacquelin Brown Hope, an educator at St. Mary’s, last year, when she shared with us at the Freedom Come Rain newspaper an innovative method of teaching that she was employing with her grade 5 class. (See FC Rain Issue #5 Vol. 40, dated 2025 May 3). Teacher Jacqueline Hope Back then, she explained that since the school is located in a farming belt, she had decided to establish a vegetable garden on the premises and use it as a teaching tool with her class. “Not only does gardening provide a hands-on, interactive way to learn,” she reasoned, “but it also offers a unique opportunity to integrate multiple subjects, including math, science, social studies, and reading." Teacher Hope found that the children were more focused and excited when they were challenged while learning and could see the fruit of their labour in multiple ways. They were also earning…dollars! “Tasty tomatoes for sale. Come get some”, say the budding farmers and entrepreneurs. Recognising that tiny seeds were literally and figuratively growing at St. Mary’s Primary, I decided shortly before they recessed for holidays last December that I would contact Teacher Hope for an update on the students’ latest foray into the vegetable garden. She reported that they had weathered Hurricane Melissa fairly well, but the storm-lashed beds would need rebuilding come January. As we were talking, Holy Spirit began issuing me some instructions, and we developed a plan to connect again early in the new year. Teacher Hope would give the children some seeds to take home for the holidays. It would be like a miniature project to assess how well they would manage without her—whether they would do their research and what they would learn by themselves. It would be good, too, to see how they would use their phones for something educational while away from school, and she could use the opportunity to backdrop the task with the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25! We were excited about the "download", and both agreed it was a workable approach. When we spoke in February 2026, Teacher Hope was exuberant. She disclosed that what began as a simple assignment quickly grew into a meaningful journey. She stated… “To cultivate both knowledge and responsibility, the students took part in a hands-on farming project that brought learning directly into their homes. Each child was given a small packet of callaloo, pak choy, and carrot seeds to take home. They were tasked with the responsibility to sow the seeds, nurture and monitor their growth, then take the seedlings back to school to be transplanted into the class garden. They were told to keep a journal and make daily entries outlining the steps taken to care for the seedlings. When the day finally arrived to bring the seedlings back to school, one could feel and sense the children’s excitement as they spoke excitedly about how they had cared for their plants, describing their struggles and successes. Some carried tall, strong seedlings, while others brought smaller ones; regardless of the size, each represented effort. “Come, let’s hurry and pack these pakchoy into the soil!” THE JOURNALS The journal entries and discussions revealed that not all the seedlings had survived. Some students said it was due to their negligence—they did not remember to give them sufficient water, and the hot sun had consequently dried up the plants. Othersstated that they watered them in the early morning and were very excited when the first tiny leaves appeared.It is interesting to note that a few children admitted that they forgot to place their pots where they could get enough sunlight, so the seeds did not germinate. Ginger! Ginger! There was much excitement as they placed their plants in the already prepared plot of land. From the experience, the children learned valuable lessons: - In science, they discovered the importance of sunlight and living things. - Calculation in mathematics, -Comprehension in languagearts, -And in health and family life education (HFLE): patience, problem-solving, and resilience. One boy, who received the token for the best plants, was super-excited as he expressed that caring for the seedlings made him feel important as his parents encouraged and praised him for his effort. BIRTH OF THE 4-H CLUB Teacher Marcia Nelson - President of St. Mary’s Primary School 4H Club, David Edwards - security officer, and a grade 6 student. What started out as a teachable moment turned into a passion and the birth of the 4-H club, led by senior teacher Marcia Nelson. Under her watchful eyes, the students achieved their goal while caring for their seedlings, and the class teachers reported that they observed confidence, pride, and responsibility in the students, especially in penmanship and oral communication. The parents too were appreciative as they noted that not only academics were being taught but also skills that will continue to grow long after the plants mature. Of valuable importance too is the fact that the children were learning and earning. A life-applicable lesson is the understanding that growth takes time, care, and dedication—both in the garden and in life." “These weeds are going into our compost bin!”

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