PS135Q The Bellaire School - Katrina Duncan and Mrs. Justine Shishkoff
In honor of Women’s History Month, we want to uplift two amazing women who champion what school gardening is all about. Introducing Katrina Duncan and Justine Shishkoff of PS 135Q, The Bellaire School. The GrowNYC School Gardens Team had the pleasure of interviewing the dynamic duo and this is what they had to say.
What led you to teaching hydroponics in your classroom?
Katrina came to the idea of having hydroponics in the classroom one night when she was taking a break from lesson planning. She saw a teacher on social media that had a hydroponic system and thought to herself “Why can’t we do that at PS 135?” This was two years ago and the pair has been expanding hydroponic gardening in their classrooms since, bringing awareness about health & wellness.
What brings you the most joy about the hydroponics program you’ve created?
“We went from our first year not knowing anything; trying to do workshops with teachers and the kids, now we’re giving back to the community by giving away fresh produce for free,” states Justine about what brings her joy from the program. “We’re able to do teacher workshops, parent workshops, we work with the students, we’ve brought in food and different nutritional companies that taught them how to cook… we’re touching and hitting so many different aspects of this community.”
Katrina adds “We see the benefits. We see kids coming up to us saying ‘Oh, I’m reading labels, I’m bringing more fruit for snack’. Just today, one of the teachers said, “You guys inspired me so much!”
What works about sharing the responsibilities of the garden?
“You always need that partner who’s going to make you shine, be the wind beneath your wings like that song says, so Ms. Shishkoff agreed and the garden has taken on a life of its own,” says Katrina. “We both know our roles and this is why our relationship works so well.”
“I don’t do e-mails, I don’t do phone calls… we know our roles, we know the gift that God has given us and we tap into those gifts.” chimes in Justine. “There’s e-mails that I’ve probably never read, [Katrina] knows the grants… we work very well together. You have to have a good teammate, someone that has the same beliefs and work ethic. We just work together very well, we have a focus on a common goal.”
What resources did you find the most successful in creating this classroom and what has helped sustain and grow the work since you first started?
Other than various grants that helped them start and grow their indoor garden, Katrina and Justine want to put the spotlight on their principal, Ms. Graf. Even when they weren’t sure what they were doing in the beginning, Ms. Graf put her trust in both of them. “She said ‘I trust and believe in you guys.’ We keep her updated and make sure she’s on board. We give her props on how supportive she is and we can’t do absolutely anything without her.”
What advice would you both like to give for educators out there just beginning to create a garden classroom?
“Go for it! We just go for it because we believe in ourselves and we believe in what we’re doing to help the earth. Make connections and keep on knocking on doors until they get tired of you. Don’t be discouraged,” as Justine remembers a quote Ms. Graf had said, “‘Do not despise small beginnings.’ We took a classroom, everything was so dirty, everything that could go wrong, we had nothing, we had used our own money, our knowledge, and it was the smallest thing in the beginning but it has made the biggest impact in this community.”
Thank you Katrina and Justine for your hard work and dedication to your students, your school, and your community!
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