OXFORD – Good projects and plans are growing at the Pumpkin Shell Cooperative Nursery School located in the United Church of Oxford. Their students learned a little about gardening and community service last week when they planted brightly colored flowers beneath the new blue “Oxford Village Welcome” sign. Pumpkin Shell’s next project is getting ready for fall applicants.

No moss grows under the feet of Pumpkin Shell director Linda Meek. She and parent volunteers, Gwen Hornbeck and Dawn Finnegan, guided the three-year-old children to place sunny yellow marigolds and petunia plants in the soil and then water them. This school year-end project was a simple way for the kids to learn about planting and beautifying Oxford. The circular planter of laid stone, created by Jim Tefft, under the carved sign (on Route 12 across from Blueox) now looks even more inviting. The children may be too young to realize it, but they just did their first community service! Volunteering is an important lesson to learn and, like the many people that serve this community, the rewards include feeling valued and it helps to develop self-esteem and self-confidence.