One girl’s idea has sprouted like sprawling tree branches.
When Spanish Lake Primary School opens its doors for the first time next month, students and the staff will be welcomed by a colorful campus, thanks to volunteers and help from local businesses.
And it all started with a simple idea.
Allie Gremillion wanted to help bring the campus back to life after the land was cleared for the school.
The eighth-grade Dutchtown Middle student, who lives close to the campus, decided to talk to her mom about doing something special for the school, which her younger brother will attend in August.
After talking about their idea with the principal, a group of volunteers were rallied together through the school’s parent-teacher organization.
It turned out the school’s principal, Britt Colon, had already planned on putting in the flower bed.
Parent Jenny Bruno was put in charge of the project.
The idea then took off, as several volunteers have stepped up to improve the new school.
A group of parents and students, along with the principal, gathered Saturday, June 27 to plant a crepe myrtle tree and a flower bed at the school’s campus.
A total of nine families contributed. Three families made financial contributions. One family provided nearly $100 worth of flowers, and another family offered landscaping from their office.
Nearly $700 worth of purple and orange flowers were planted.
Louisiana Nursery offered “a tremendous discount on all of the flowers purchased,” she said.
Lowes provided the mulch, and Colon picked up a truck full of soil from Plant Tech.
Spanish Lake will be one of three new schools opening this year in Ascension Parish.
Classes are scheduled to begin Aug. 12.
