Surprising Discovery at Southdown School
As Southdown Primary School students climbed down off their buses and paraded along sidewalks in front of the building many with eagle eyes spotted a surprise in an active garden area less than 20 feet from the main entrance.
“We started the school year with an amazing discovery,” Principal Michelle Marino said. “A beautiful large green pumpkin was growing right in the front garden of the school!”
The site of the pumpkin has caused more than one double-take. “Knowing that it was not intentionally planted by anyone, I turned to the first graders to help solve the mystery of how it got there,” Mrs. Marino said. “I thought that they would be the best group to ask since they were able to ‘grow’ 400 pumpkins last year using ‘magic’ pumpkin seeds for the harvest festival. The children looked, measured, pondered and have several theories.”
Mrs. Marino was referring to an annual event where students throw some seeds on a grassy field and then perform a chant. By the next morning hundreds of pumpkins are arranged on that same field, much to the delight of the youngsters who initially see them as the buses pull into the main driveway.
“A seed from one of last year's pumpkins was stored by a squirrel that eventually dug a hole and hid it in the garden for protection from the weather and other animals,” Mrs. Marino said in explaining one theory. She also provided a second seemingly plausible scenario: “A bird flying over the school dropped a pumpkin seed from his mouth into the air. A strong wind carried it into the garden.”
The whole affair has played into the imaginations of students and given teachers an opening for some science related lessons. “Although we're not sure how it got there, we certainly have enjoyed watching it turn from green to yellow to orange and seeing firsthand how pumpkins grow on a thorny vine with beautiful yellow flowers,” Mrs. Marino said.
As the pumpkin continues to grow, thoughts of the coming harvest are on some minds. “We haven't decided what to do with this pumpkin when it's ripe on the vine, but we do know that whatever we decide, it will be one favorite pumpkin,” Mrs. Marino said.
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