Dear Mrs Okafor,

I am writing to ask you to let our school start a vegetable garden in the empty space behind the Year 4 classrooms. I believe a garden would be good for our learning, our health and our environment.

Firstly, a garden is a real-life classroom. In science, we are learning about how plants grow, but reading about it in a book is not the same as watching a seed turn into a tomato plant. We could measure the plants in maths and write about them in English. Learning would be hands-on and much more fun.

Secondly, a garden would help us eat better. Many students bring packaged snacks for lunch. If we grew our own carrots, lettuce and strawberries, we could taste fresh food that we had cared for ourselves. Children are much more likely to eat vegetables they have grown.

Thirdly, a garden is good for the planet. We could make compost from the scraps in our lunch boxes instead of sending them to landfill. The plants would also attract bees and butterflies to our school.

Some people might say that a garden is too much work. However, our class has already made a watering roster, and Mr Singh, the groundskeeper, has offered to help on Fridays. The parents' committee has even promised to donate seeds and tools.

Please give us the chance to show you what we can do. A school garden would make our school a greener, healthier and happier place.

Yours sincerely,

Priya Nair

Year 4, Room 12