DALLAS TWP. — “Ew! a worm,” 5-year-old Anna Jackubowski squealed as she helped 10-year-old Jhakhora Crowder dig a hole in the dirt to plant some pumpkin seeds.

The children are part of a Wycallis Elementary School garden project that kicked-off Wednesday.

Nearly 560 students exited their classrooms and school to attend the garden’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Classrooms were assigned a segment of time during the day to work on the garden.

Crowder followed fourth-grade teacher Nicole Valkenburg’s instructions of digging a playground ball-sized hole in a freshly tilled plot.

Jackubowski watched and quickly collected rocks uncovered by Crowder’s spade. Jackubowski carried the small rocks over to a designated area and added them to a growing pile.

The idea for a school garden was inspired when kindergarten teacher Victoria Flynn saw a social media post about garden grants available through Tractor Supply stores.

“I think it is a fantastic idea,” Wycallis Elementary School Principal Brian Bradshaw said Wednesday. “It is a new learning opportunity for our students.”

Bradshaw said the school garden ties into its science program.

With school support, Valkenburg and Flynn prepared and submitted a grant application.

It was denied.

The garden still became a reality thanks to the assistance of several donors, Valkenburg said.

The Dallas Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed to help support the Dallas School District, donated $5,600, said Valkenburg said.

Businesses, such as Darling Farms and Greenhouses in Dallas Township, Green Valley Landscaping and Lowes, both in Wilkes-Barre, helped by donating materials, plants, seeds, mulch and manpower to till the soil, Valkenburg said.

Dallas High School Prototyping Lab and the Dallas School District Maintenance Department have lent their skills and talents to the garden project, Valkenburg said.

Parents and faculty also donated a variety of gardening items such as gloves and watering cans for the project, Bradshaw said.

Volunteers that include parents and teachers will maintain the garden through the summer months, Valkenburg said.

Volunteers can sign up through the garden link on the Wycallis Elementary School’s website, www.dallassd.com.

The garden’s groundbreaking was postponed twice due to storms, but Wednesday’s cloudy skies and light rain shower did not dampen the students’ excitement.

Two classes at a time were permitted to prepare a section of the garden. The first groups were Jackubowski’s kindergarten classmates and Crowder’s fourth-grade class, who worked together to plant pumpkin seeds.

Other classrooms were charged with the responsibility of planting potatoes and other vegetables, flowers, herbs and even milkweeds.

“The (Garden) committee did an incredible amount of research about what plants to plant, why and what to do with them,” Bradshaw said.

Milkweeds were chosen to help the declining local population of monarch butterflies, Valkenburg said. Parsley will attract black swallowtail butterflies, she said.

Ten-year-old Nathan Christopher and his helper, 5-year-old Chase Lindbuchler, both enjoyed the garden project.

“I love to garden,” Lindbuchler said. “I like to help out.”

Christopher also likes to garden and added his family has one at home.

“It is not hard,” Christopher said. “The hardest part is trying to pull out a rock with one hand.”

Wycallis Elementary School students unroll a tarp used to cover the garden beside the school building in Dallas.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TDP062517DSDgarden1.jpg.optimal.jpgWycallis Elementary School students unroll a tarp used to cover the garden beside the school building in Dallas. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post

Wycallis Elementary School third-grader Zachary Hodakowski, 7, reacts to potatoes that will be planted in the school garden.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TDP062517DSDgarden2.jpg.optimal.jpgWycallis Elementary School third-grader Zachary Hodakowski, 7, reacts to potatoes that will be planted in the school garden. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post

Peyton Feeny, 10, and Riley Withrow, 6, dig a hole together for the school garden at Wycallis Elementary School in Dallas. Each class participated in helping with the garden for the day.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TDP062517DSDgarden3.jpg.optimal.jpgPeyton Feeny, 10, and Riley Withrow, 6, dig a hole together for the school garden at Wycallis Elementary School in Dallas. Each class participated in helping with the garden for the day. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post

Fourth-grader Nathan Christopher, 10, and kindergartner Chase Lindbuchler, 5, help dig a hole for the garden outside of Wycallis Elementary School.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TDP062517DSDgarden4.jpg.optimal.jpgFourth-grader Nathan Christopher, 10, and kindergartner Chase Lindbuchler, 5, help dig a hole for the garden outside of Wycallis Elementary School. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post

Kindergarten student Gavin Hayes, 6, carries a large rock out of the garden bed beside Wycallis Elementary School in Dallas. Students were asked to help clear the soil of any rocks or stones before they could plant anything.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TDP062517DSDgarden5.jpg.optimal.jpgKindergarten student Gavin Hayes, 6, carries a large rock out of the garden bed beside Wycallis Elementary School in Dallas. Students were asked to help clear the soil of any rocks or stones before they could plant anything. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post

By Eileen Godin

egodin@timesleader.com

Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.