Wrenshall News: We need a tomatillo spirit

I have a small plot on the farm that I use to experiment and play - growing things such as artichoke, eggplant, or tomatillo.

That last plant is irrepressible. I started growing tomatillos five years ago and every year I have so many volunteer plants that they could probably count as a perennial weed. Even the yellow spindles that I started from seed and forgot in pots grew into flourishing shrubs dripping with green fruit. It was this resilience and energy that came to mind as I talked with Wrenshall kindergarten teachers Anna George and Suzy Berger about the coming school year.

The two teachers were recently featured in a Duluth television news story about the work they are doing to develop outdoor classroom space for incoming students. CBS News recently picked up the story as well. The two are trying to develop safe and invigorating spaces for kindergartners to gain academic skills but also practice their social development.

"The most important point of kindergarten is social learning, and that is really hard when students have to stay 6 feet away from each other," says Berger. Getting more of the outdoor programming "has helped focus me and excite me. It has allowed me to figure out how I can do this," she said. "We're so lucky at Wrenshall because we have so many areas that we can be outside and with the new forest classroom, it will allow us to provide for play-based learning for our students."

When I asked how community members could help, Berger said monetary donations would be helpful in providing warm and protective gear for the outdoors. But she added that even more important is support and understanding from the community.

"This year is going to look different and we are going to be OK. We'll be able to meet students where they are and they will be OK. This whole experience is going to make them stronger, resilient, and empathetic."

If 2020 could have a word, it might be "resilience" or "flexibility," but I think "tomatillo" might be a more fitting moniker for the last six months, and could be used on an aspirational vision board for 2021 as well.

If you have any Wrenshall-related news to share, email or call Annie at annesdugan @gmail.com or 218-310-4703