Greenhouse tour Ryan Saulsbury, Botany teacher at Pillager High School, recently led Kindergarten students in a tour of the school Arbor Day is Friday, April 30; and Pillager High School will once again host a community celebration and plant pre-sale in honor of this nationally-observed day.

The festivities will be held from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. near the school’s greenhouses.

Hundreds of plants - including a variety of flowers, tomatoes and some other vegetables - will be available to the public for pre sale. The general plant sale will be held May 12, 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

In addition to the plant sale, food, games, raffles and prizes will be available during the Arbor Day celebration.

“We’ve been doing this for about 17 years,” said PHS Forestry and Biology teacher, Karl Kaufmann. “This year, we’ve had the Botany class assisting us which has been nice.”

Students began growing the plants Feb. 15, and have been responsible for tending to them over the past two months.

The classes offer a practical, handson approach to gardening, Mr. Kaufmann said. In the real world of industry, there’s no such thing as a ‘C,’ he added. “Students learn that they have to do things right.” Working with plants is more than simply memorizing words and definitions. It’s about doing.

Students in Mrs. Hutchison’s business class have a chance to learn about promotion and marketing. They handle the advertising of the Arbor Day event, as well as the financial aspect of plant sales.

It’s a great way to put to use some of the business skills they’ve been studying, Hutchison said.

Nearly 100 students are involved with the Arbor Day event in one way or another.

Hutchison said she hopes that a lot of people will stop by the Pillager School on Arbor Day.

“It’s always a lot of fun and it’s for a good cause,” she said.