Farmers Market at Castlemont (86th and MacArthur) Every Wednesday!

Green Pioneers Farmer's Market!

Students from Green Pioneers hosted the first Castlemont Community of Small Schools and Leadership Public School Farmer's Market last Wednesday. The market will take place every Wednesday from now on from 1-4pm! Stay tuned for more photos and updates!

Check us out and buy fresh, healthy, affordable food!
We are located at the front gates of Castlemont High School at 86th and MacArthur Blvd.

Learning From Our Mistakes!

10/5/11

Dealing with someone that doesn't want to cooperate and being in a hard and stressful situation is tough. Especially when they're screaming and being disrespectful towards you. 
The way you're really supposed to deal with it is going head first, meaning that you don't scream, you be respectful and try to work with the person as much as you can. 
I am Joanna Syx and I am a student assistant to Grace Proctor. Yes, I was in this situation at one point and I didn't handle it as I was suppose to but those difficult situations make us stronger.
 Sometimes its stressful but if we have it in us we can work with anyone. In Green Pioneers, we try our hardest to work together like a family and make sure situations like this don't happen again. I for one will say I did slip up and respond bad but then again I am only human. I learn and will be the best leader I can be.

A New School Year Starts For Green Pioneers!

My names is Joanna Styx and I am the student assistant to our new Program Coordinator, Grace Proctor.  I help lead the meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It's a new experience for me because I was once a intern and being an intern doesn't have as much responsibility! During this past week we have had a lot of new interns come and join! Its great meeting new people and seeing how everyone works together! The garden is slowly growing and becoming better and better as the time passes! Being a student assistant consists of a lot of responsibilities and a lot of patience.

I am Isabel Gonzalez, my experience with being a Green Pioneers intern is pretty nice since I got a heap of new experience like how to make seedling starters and how to take care of chickens! This year my project is taking care of the plants on the perimeter of the garden. For example I get to train the crawling plants to crawl up our fences. I'm doing this since we don't want the fence to look lonely, so the more lively and the more it is filled with flowers, the nicer it would look! The garden helps me build my courage since honestly, I'm way too shy. So, not only is the garden a good thing for the community but it will also help me improve myself. Last year the garden wasn't so lively as it is today and that makes me happy knowing all our hard work is getting noticed and is encouraging more of my peers to help out.

This year our goals are: to work more, improve the garden, grow more plants and have more productive workers around. The more work we do, the more it'll be noticed and we'll feel more appreciated. When the garden is improved it'll look so beautiful and when we come it'll become an even better comfort zone for everyone. To accomplish all of this we do need more hard workers like the ones we have today! Our garden is very green, when you walk in you see so many plants! We have corn, nopales, strawberries, basil, lemon verbena, pumpkins, corn, squash, watermelons, lavender, peppermint, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, sunflowers, apple trees, peach trees, plum trees and lemon trees! Now isn't that a lot? Because I think it is AND we're planning on adding more!

Summer Update

Working as Summer Green Pioneer Interns
by Isabel and Maria Gonzalez

“I’m proud. Our hard work is paying off”-Maria Gonzalez

“I have been setting up the irrigation system. This is better than a normal summer job because I can do whatever I want when I am done with working on my particular job—like start another project, like working on our ecosystem pond or weeding around the plants. Working outside is better than staying inside. There is fresh air and this place feels like home—I’m used to this place.”

–Alexis Valladares 

What have we been doing?

Watering plants, feeding chickens, pruning, weeding and making sure our garden stays in good shape since it represents us. We always make sure someone comes at least once a day to do the main duties.

Who has been doing it?

The summer job Interns are the ones that are working right now which include Maria Gonzalez, Alexis Valladares, Joanna Syx, Omar Mateo, Jasmin Carrillo, Cesilia Juarez and Manuel Perez. We also have volunteers that show up every now and then.

Why are we here?

It’s fun being in the outdoors and being active. “It’s good for the community and environment,” is what Alexis said. “PEACEFUL and shady and breezy,” is what Grace stated and its true if I say so myself.

How does it make you feel?

“Makes me feel happy and great. Like I’m actually doing something to help the environment and community instead of being out in the streets.  I get to interact with other people I normally wouldn’t talk to.” – Maria Gonzalez & Alexis Valladares

Future Plans?

Well to start, we’re planning on beautifying the garden more so we can attract more butterflies, bees, and more living organisms. We might tear down the fence, get rid of the cement with possibly a jackhammer, and expand the garden with more beds or more flowers. We may possibly make a waterslide to attract more people too! 

We will accomplish these goals!

 

Isabel and Maria weeding in a Castlemont Community Garden Bed.

Interview with Ms. Johnson

Shinnyo-En Interview with Ms. Johnson


Sinnyo-En donated the supplies for our Koi Pond along with other grants. Then, they interviewed Ms. Johnson about Green Pioneers. Thanks, Shinnyo-En!

Joannas Speech

Joanna Syx, 11th Grader at EOSA delivered this speech at the East Oakland Earth Day Celebration on April 30, 2011. She received a standing ovation. 

      Have you ever been around the neighborhood and noticed how dirty it has gotten over the years? Have you thought what might have caused all these disasters that are occurring? Well i have! And everyday, I think about, what might my life be like in like, 10 years from now! What about my children? Well I feel it's time for a change this is our neighborhood! We need to keep it clean, we live here, this neighborhood represents us! We are the change! If we don't change what will become of us! We aren't keeping mother nature clean, so why do we expect the disasters to stop?
     Hello and welcome to our Earth day celebration. My name is Joanna and I'm with Green Pioneers, our purpose is to serve our community and to help people eat healthy, it might seem weird that a teen like me is stuck on this program right? Well it just so happens that I'm happy helping my community, I rather spend my time helping young teens stay healthy and safe rather then roaming these streets and getting locked up! I'm just one of hundreds that are here for a change.
    I for one would like to see the streets cleaner, and better food, by better i mean healthier wouldn't you? So why don't we do something to stop it? It's a perfect question everyone should think about!