BCS is ahead of the ‘carve’

October 19, 2022

Oh my gourdness, is that a chia pet? Nope, it’s a pumpkin science project!

With Halloween around the corner, everything is coming up pumpkin at Butler Catholic School. From our school pumpkin patch to BCS pumpkin sales to our annual student pumpkin roll, October is a colorful time.

Maria Cosme’s third grade class is getting into the pumpkin spirit by raising chia pumpkins!

“It was a good introduction to our pumpkin unit,” Mrs. Cosme explained, adding third graders spend time in October covering the pumpkin lifecycle from seed to vine.

Students chose their own mini pumpkins—sourced from a local farm—which they cut open and cleaned. This portion of the exercise was a great way learn about pumpkin seeds, which students counted from their pumpkins by hand.

“Some of them had over 200 seeds!” Mrs. Cosme added.

After cleaning the gourds, students filled their pumpkins with potting soil and packed them with chia seeds before setting them on the classroom windowsill. The seeds sprouted over the course of a week, and students were able to watch the process first-hand!

“The kids are always over there to see which ones have sprouted,” Mrs. Cosme said. “They thought it was so cool that they could do a garden project in class!”

Mrs. Cosme is already hoping to do a similar project with her class in the spring, this time focused on terrariums and vegetable plants.

Students in all grades are also preparing for the BCS Pumpkin Roll, which takes place every year before Halloween. The event pits classes in each grade against each other as students work together to decorate and race pumpkins down the hill of the lower school lot.

This tradition was born during the COVID-19 pandemic as a fun, safe way for students to gather and celebrate the fall and harvest seasons.

The pumpkins that roll the fastest and farthest are sent on to the Elite Eight competition, then the Final Four, and finally the Championship Match. The class that secures the championship reaps the rewards of a pizza party on a date of their choosing.

It’s an exciting time at BCS! Learn more about our adventures and events at www.butlercatholic.org or on our Facebook page.