Koi pond at school brings life to ecology lessons

Our school is the only New York City school to have a koi pond. Isn’t that cool? I was wondering why we did have one, so I talked to our principal, George Carter, about it.

When I asked him what made him decide to build one in the first place, he said that since there was an available empty space, why not make it an epic learning garden and add koi?

I asked Mr. Carter what was in the pond. He said, “There are certain plants that grow in a koi pond.” We also have the area surrounding the pond with some nice plantings as well.

The pond started with six fish donated by our assistant principal Lauren Moyal and Mr. Carter’s brother. During the summer of 2015 our fish family grew from six to eight fish because of babies!

Our science teacher, Brian Weiss, told me that the koi pond is not just beautiful, it is also a great way to show a living environment to students. It gives them a chance to see fish living within an ecosystem. We also use the outdoor space for read-alouds.

I have been to visit the pond many times during my time as a student at PS 79. I was able to help with the planting and the weeding. I also helped create a mural with chalk on the staircase wall. In my opinion the Learning Garden is a great addition to our school and a great way to get some fresh air, too. The koi pond was built through a generous donation from our Parent-Teacher Association.

Jennifer Speicher’s fourth-grade class, PS 79Q, Whitestone