Hip2B Healthy Raffle!

Support Hip2B Healthy Kids Youth Arts, Sports, Fun Programs, and Crown Heights Farmers Market!

Raffle for iPod Touch, Nano, Sneakers, and More!

Help kids play soccer, dance, play music, and more!

Raffle Tickets: $1 each or 6 for $5
When: Drawing on April 14, 2013 (during the Soccer for Harmony Tournament #4)
Prizes:  1st Prize: iPod Touch (33 GB)
                     2nd Prize: Choice of one: iPod Nano, Sneakers, or Nike Sweatshirt
                     3rd Prize: $50 Gift Certificate to JOYA Restaurant

Win Prizes for SELLING Tickets! If you are first to sell:

• 300 Tickets: Win an iPod Touch (33 GB)
• 200 Tickets: Win an iPod Nano or $50 Gift Certificate to JOYA Restaurant (2 winners)
• 150 Tickets: Win choice of one: free soccer for 1 (one) child (April-June), Sneakers, or Nike Sweatshirt (20)
• 60 Tickets: Win coupons to the Hip2B Healthy Market at PS 221 or monthly spring soccer pass for 1 (one) child (20 winners)

Info and to get raffles: Call 917-756-4202 or email: info@seedsinthemiddle.org or get tickets at PS 221, the first Hip2B HEalthy School (791 Empire Blvd.)

Note: Adults, you can buy rolls of raffle tickets and sell. Just let us know and bring them to us.

         

Learning Plant Parts

Some of Ms. Monroe's students showing off their beautiful bean plant diagrams!

PS221 First Hip2B Healthy Farmstand Fundraiser

At PS 221, we hold a Hip2B Healthy Market twice a week, students selling healthy sumptuous snacks for as little as 50 cents so friends don't buy junk food at convenience stores. But on Friday, March 22, students sprung the spring 2013 holiday season with an expanded market - raising more than $100 towards music, arts and ballroom dancing programs while pumping up math and reading skills for the upcoming tests! Check out our first Seeds in the Middle/PS 221 Hip2B Healthy School Market Farmstand Fundaiser. Thank you to Jetro Cash and Carry, Ronnybrook Farms, Wilklow Orchards, Tree-Licious Orchards, Petal, and our own PS 221 urban farmers for their generous donations! It was joyful... and did you hear the Hip2B Healthy Market rap? Look for us on Youtube!

Hip2B Healthy Market Rap

Check out the first rehearsal of the Hip2B Healthy Market rap, by Public School 221 students in the obesity epidemic in central Brooklyn. They sell healthy, fresh snacks for as little as 50 cents to help their classmates get healthy and stay away from junk food, causing diabetes, heart disease and obesity in their community. Get your Fruit On!
PS 221 is the first Hip2B Healthy School, founded by Seeds in the Middle - a partnership of local principals, teachers and students and their community to empower all to access all they need to get healthy, green their environment, engage in the arts and scale disparities. Contact us at info@seedsinthemiddle.org. Like Seeds in the Middle on Facebook for updates!

Hip2B Healthy Market Farmstand Fundraiser

Spring is Coming! 

Bring your dollar to the First Ever Hip2B Healthy Market Farmstand Fundraiser!

No bake sales here! No sugary sodas here! Not at Public School 221, the first Hip2B Healthy school. Students, teachers, and friends are planting Seeds In The Middle of the city and world

Our 2013 blasted off with phenomenal volunteers and educators integrating health, empowerment, and joy in everyday learning.

When: Today, March 22, 2 PM - 4 PM

Where: PS 221

What: Oranges (fresh OJ made by student ambassadors)

     New York Apples from Wilklow Orchards

     Apple Cider from Tree Licious Orchards, NJ

     Yogurt Drinks from Ronnybrook Dairy, NY

     Fruits - oranges, grapes, strawberries, and grape tomatoes from Jetro Cash & Carry

     Veggie Plants from PS 221 Urban Farmers

     Flowers

SNAP/EBT Accepted

All money supports PS 221 Arts

Hip2B Healthy Awards Night - Congrats, Change Makers

Welcome to Seeds in the Middle's first Hip2B Healthy Student Ambassador Award Night. These students at PS 221, the first Hip2B Healthy School, are leading the way for healthy change in their community. They are promoting healthy living and greening their environment. They are gardeners, composters, runners, soccer players, Hip2B Healthy Market ambassadors, hard working students. They will be scoring high on upcoming standardized tests. Congratulations to them all. Stay tuned for our next award night in April! Thank you to all our generous volunteers and supporters. We couldn't do it without you. Aren't they beautiful?

See all of the pictures on Facebook!

Matching, Measuring, Math and Gardening!

Buzzing in the Green Room at PS 221

Matching Measuring, Math and Gardening!
By Anna Ellis

The Green Room has been buzzing with activity this past month, with some of our 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classes stopping by to learn about plant parts, growing salads from seed, and raising worms in our vermicompost bins. Ms. Sanders and Ms. Williams 3rd grade classes have spent a lot of time planting, measuring, solving hands-on math problems about their crop yields, and caring for their worms. Their classes measured the perimeter of their garden beds, calculated the area they have to plant in, and designed the garden bed's layout. Ms. Sanders' class already has a row of radishes growing, and a few spinach plants that are starting to emerge from the soil! 

The 2nd grade has been learning all about roots after reading "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss. They planted their own carrot crop. They've also started their own classroom-sized worm bins to compost their lunch scraps, explored the parts of a plant, and Ms. Simpsons class started growing a plant part salad. Last week, Ms. Monroe's class got to harvest and enjoy eating the sunflower sprouts and pea shoots they've been growing in their classroom. They prepared a delicious avocado dip to go with their harvest, and couldn't get enough! Hopefully, we will be featuring this new favorite dip at the Hip2B Healthy Market soon.

Ms. Fearon's 4th grade class planted a salad of lettuce, radishes and peas and some cilantro and basil for pestos. After recording observations of the garden's growth over they next few months they will celebrate their hard work with a tasty and healthy meal. Maybe there will even be some leftovers they can share with their worms! Mr. Pelizzi's class started a worm bin in their classroom, which they are using to study the difference between organic and inorganic mater, what worms do for our garden, and how to provide the worms with a balanced diet. Worm ambassadors from our 4th grade classes will soon be teaching the kindergarten and 1st graders how to raise worms in their own classrooms and help them to start their own bins. 

It has been very exciting to get our garden up and growing and watching our students explore and learn from these valuable resources. As one of our 4th graders said, "Today was the most fun and I can't wait to come back and see what my seeds look like next week!" We can't wait either!