Sixth Grade class at Bethel Takes on Gardening Project

Sixth Grade students in Chelsie Eldreth’s Class at Bethel completed a project to harvest sunflower seeds that will be replanted next year in raised beds around the school.

Eldreth, who teaches CTE classes at Bethel and Valle Crucis Schools, said the project is part of the group’s larger course of study on agriculture and gardening. This project is a small part of a wealth of opportunities over the school year that her students have to get hands-on experience with every aspect of the planting, growing and harvesting process. Bethel School’s garden joins a list of several around the county that are planted and tended each year by middle school CTE students.

Eldreth is one of four teachers in Watauga County Schools who teaches agriculture classes at the middle school level. The district added the middle school agriculture program in 2019 and has seen growth in its scale and enrollment. Eldreth said her students were looking forward to exploring a wide range of projects in their CTE classes in the coming year, including architectural projects, making floor plans for home designs, creating solar cars and simple machines, gardening, and coding.