3 minute read
Garden Gourmet
Have you ever helped to prepare a meal for a large group of people?
1 Emilio and Michi spread the colorful tablecloth on the table. They made room for Drew, who was carrying a covered casserole dish with potholders. Small beads of water had condensed on the inside of the lid. “Watch out,” Drew warned. “This is pretty hot. ”
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2 A moment later, Kent and Alyssa added another steaming dish to the table. “That smells so good!” exclaimed Michi. “Are most of the parents here yet? I’m famished. ”
3 Kent peeked through the doors that led into the hallway. “I think Ms. Milano and Mr. Hasselbach just finished giving them the garden tour. They should be heading into the cafeteria next. ”
4 The students of Jefferson Middle School had spent all afternoon preparing for the evening meal. They did their best to transform the lunchroom into an elegant and beautiful dining area for their families. The gray metal tables were hidden beneath brightly-colored cotton tablecloths. Each table held a small glass vase with fresh flowers from the school’s garden.
5 Only about half of the overhead lights were on. The rest of the lighting was provided by the small white lights that Michi and Alyssa had carefully wrapped around the columns that were scattered throughout the cafeteria. They thought that candles would do an excellent job of creating an elegant mood, but Ms. Milano would not be swayed from her conviction that candles were too risky to use in a school.
6 As the families found their seats, Ms. Milano motioned to Drew, Emilio, and Michi to join her at the front of the room. “Could I have everyone’s attention?” asked Ms. Milano. “I know you can smell all the wonderful foods our students prepared, so I won’t keep you from your dinners for long. I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Drew, Emilio, and Michi for their wonderful idea. ”
7 Mrs. Milano continued, “A year ago, they first came to me with the plan for starting a garden at Jefferson. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they had thought through everything. Anytime I had a question about how we would make this work, they had an answer prepared. As you can see, they were absolutely correct. About three-quarters of the food you’ll be enjoying tonight came from the school garden. The students prepared the entire meal themselves, with some guidance from Mr. Hasselbach. ”
8 Ms. Milano handed Drew, Michi, and Emilio each a tissue-wrapped package. They unwrapped their packages as Ms. Milano addressed the room. “As a thankyou to these students for their creative idea, hard work, and perseverance, they have each received a stepping stone for the garden. Their names and the date are engraved on the stones. ”
9 She turned to them. “Students for years to come will be enjoying the garden that you helped create,” she said. “We thought it would be appropriate for them to have a reminder of our garden’s ambitious founders.
10 Drew, Emilio, and Michi held up their stepping stones and grinned as the crowd clapped. “And now,” said Ms. Milano, “please help yourselves to some of the mouthwatering food our young chefs have prepared. Dinner is served!”
Spectrum Reading Grade 6
16
Circle the word that best completes each sentence below.
1. The students put a great deal of _______________ into the preparation of the meal.
effort guidance transformation
2. Ms. Milano _______________ Drew, Emilio, and Michi’s contributions.
regrets appreciates plans
3. The stepping stones are _______________ with their names and the date.
requested remembered engraved
4. Name two things the students did to transform the lunchroom.
5. Why did Ms. Milano give Drew, Michi, and Emilio stepping stones?
6. Why do you think Ms. Milano was skeptical when the students first presented her with the idea of starting a school garden?
7. About how much of the food the students served did they grow themselves?
8. In paragraph 8, what does perseverance mean?
9. List three adjectives that describe how you think Drew, Emilio, and Michi feel at the end of the story.
Spectrum Reading Grade 6
