Teachers win $5,000 grant from Lowe's

The two teachers plan to use the funds to create a curriculum garden in which each grade level will care for a specific plot.

"The students and their teachers will develop a theme for their garden area, one that relates to their curriculum," Lail said in a release. "For example, the fourth grade might plant things that grow in North Carolina or a kindergarten class might plant flowers that begin with different letters of the alphabet."

Students, parent volunteers and the faculty will plant and maintain the garden.

"The goal is to involve the students in the research phase where they investigate which types of plants will grow best in our particular environment," Lail said.

"The students will become active participants in the planting phase and establish a sense of ownership as they continue to maintain and care for the garden."

-- Charlotte Observer, Narch 1, 2006