Q. How long have you been tending to the courtyard?

A.  We started that project in August 2017.

Q. Do you have prior experience with gardening?

A. Yes.

Q. Is anyone helping you with the courtyard?

A. Its primarily myself directing it and doing most of the work but the AV school students are involved as well.

Q. What is your favorite plant in the courtyard?

A. I do not have a favorite because all of the plants need attention and care, some more than others.

Q.  How difficult is it to tend to the Courtyard?

A. Its a very difficult project. It has many different plants in there. It was so overgrown and neglected for the first three years of its existence. The first part of the project was to clear it out and give the current plants and the opportunity to grow and thrive. Most of the first year was preparing it and then we began to improve it which is what we are still working on.

Q. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, how much do you enjoy doing this?

A. 8. I enjoy it. I have always enjoyed that type of work. I have done it for a long time…I created Pierce Beach. That was my idea. When I was the recreation director. It was my design, my concept. I oversaw the construction of it. For many years, I oversaw the care of the plants. Everything you see there now was young plants when we put it in.

Q. Is this something that you have always wanted to do?

A. I don’t know if its something that I’ve always wanted to do, but its something that I have enjoyed doing as a sideline, so to speak.

Q. What else do you do?

A. I am The principal of the Community School, Which is the evening school program, the summer school program, The kid’s summer learning the program, the adult programs, the indoor track, the list is endless as to what we do here.

Courtyard Program

Mr. Aguiar will be creating a program that allows students to contribute to the courtyard. This will count towards community service hours. It is also a year-round project that can involve science and will help you learn about different types of plants. Every plant needs special care. All students are welcome to take part in the growth and development of the courtyard.