Hello Thunderbirds!

We’re back this week with another highlight from our incredible Thornhill PFC staff.

Several years ago, we were lucky enough to add Alexis Lavine-Moore to our team. She has (literally!) brought new life to our Thornhill garden and our campus. Our TK through 2nd grade students have access to biweekly garden instruction. They are getting those little fingers dirty and learning so much in the process.

Your donation to the Thornhill Annual Fund, goes directly to funding amazing things for our student community, like Ms. Alexis and the Thornhill Garden Program.

It has been my deep pleasure to revitalize the garden spaces at Thornhill and grow the garden and gardening program with the children and teachers of Thornhill over the last several years!

I have ben teaching environmental education and gardening with elementary school children and adults for more than 20 years. I have a master’s degree in Geology and deep passion for teaching people of all ages about our connection with the earth and nature. I have been growing my own organic fruits and vegetables for decades, especially during my last 17+ years living in the Bay Area where food can be grown year-round. I am the mother of two girls, ages 10 and 12, who attend Thornhill Elementary and Montera Middle School, and I have been teaching gardening at Thornhill for the last 6 years. My husband Aerin and I own and manage Magic Gardens Landscaping.

During gardening classes in the school garden, we care for the garden through weeding, watering, planting, harvesting, composting, and working the soil. We learn hands-on about biology, ecology, sustainability, nutrition, and the cycles and web of life. We experience our deep connection with the natural world, how we can nurture it, and how it nurtures us. We eat food from the garden in a mindful way, through harvesting with gratitude, observing our food (to make sure we’re not eating bugs or dirt, but also to become familiar with it), smelling our food, and then enjoying the fruits and veggies of our labor. Being an integral part of the garden’s growth and life cycles instills a sense of environmental stewardship in our students and gives them the rewards of working in community to create something wonderful.      ~Miss Alexis

Ready to donate?

There are a variety of ways to submit your donation: 

Thank you for your continued support!

Catrina Vrankovich, Selam Brown and Stefani Miller

Annual Fund Co-Chairs 

annualfund@thornhillschool.org