November 10, 2023

Howe Does Your Garden Grow?

With the help of students, Howe Elementary principal Matthew Rizzutto and parent Ashley Flavin cut the ribbon after unveiling a new container garden and colorful footpath outside the front of the school. The garden was designed by parent/gardener/ artist Ashley Flavin, who has children at the school.

Howe Elementary parent Ashley Flavin had a vision. If other Mt. Lebanon elementary schools had gardens, why not Howe?

Since she’s an artist, she sketched what she had in mind and showed it to others. “I think that’s really all I needed was to present it to people who can make it happen,” she said.

Howe’s PTA approved the expense on October 11. Less than a month later, the garden was in place.

“This was such a cool collaboration between a lot of different groups of people,” said Amy Grella, Howe PTA president, addressing a small crowd gathered for the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

“The interaction and the partnerships between the school and the municipality work very well together. We always have and still do.” said Craig Grella, Commissioner for Mt. Lebanon’s fourth ward.

Mt. Lebanon commissioner Craig Grella addresses the crowd of parents and children outside Howe Elementary during the unveiling of a new container garden and colorful footpath outside the front of the school. Commissioner Grella’s wife, Amy, is president of the Howe Elementary PTA. The garden was designed by parent/ gardener/artist Ashley Flavin, who has children at the school.

Howe Principal Matthew Rizzutto is impressed with how quickly everything fell into place. “This is such a special thing for our community, for our school, for our students and families,” he said.

In the future, Flavin hopes to add more flowers and some vegetable beds to allow kids to taste what they grow. “If they can feel it, if they can smell it, if they can taste it, it helps them learn so much more,” she said. In the meantime, she’s thankful her idea received such a positive reaction. “I had a vision and support made it better,” she pointed out.