Philip Simmons Elementary School’s Garden of Curiosity honors late student

Philip Simmons Elementary School’s Garden of Curiosity is a vibrant, student-created, educational garden honoring the life of 7-year-old Alex Nassyrov, a beloved student who tragically lost his life in a car accident in February 2023. 

 

It was a difficult spring for students and teachers who knew and loved Nassyrov. For many students, their classmate’s untimely death was the first real tragedy they experienced. In an attempt to work through feelings and have a sense of doing something for Nassyrov, the PSE first-grade teachers incorporated their spring STEAM unit with creating a space in Nassyrov’s memory.

 

As first-grade students learned about plants in their science curriculum, they were confronted with an intriguing real-world problem: the empty garden beds lying dormant on the school’s premises. 

 

“[Students] used their background knowledge from our science unit and came up with a solution to move the beds into our courtyard,” Melissa Alexander explained in a BCSD video posted to PSE’s Facebook page. 

 

The first graders conducted research on what various flowers, fruits and vegetables they could grow in the garden beds. Students helped pick out the soil, planted flowers that match the school colors, decorated the garden and painted stepping stones in memory of their late classmate. 

 

Ashlee Newton, Nassyrov’s teacher at the time, shared her appreciation for the project: “It was an opportunity for students to work through their grief. Students were smiling and talking about Alex and that was huge for us.”

 

The Garden of Curiosity, a heartwarming tribute to Nassyrov, embodies the curiosity, enthusiasm and joy he brought to his classmates and teachers. The garden is funded by the Judy Rainey Passion Project. Berkeley County School District teacher of the year Cynthia Zimmerman also gave her grant to support the STEAM garden

passion project. The funds allowed teachers and students to continue the garden as a testament to the power of hands-on learning and a reminder that hardships can bring a community together.

 

“That’s what we want to inspire in our kids,” Zimmerman said in the BCSD video. “We want our kids to feel like they had a part in creating something that’s going to live on. They designed it, they used what they learned in the classroom …This really came from the hearts of the students.”

 

What started as a tribute science lesson became a legacy project for years to come. Newton said students in Nassyrov’s sister’s grade are already working to create a gardening club that will involve multiple teachers and grade levels. The school intends the garden to be a place for PSE students to learn about the life cycles of plants and take pride in their school, according to a BCSD Facebook post earlier this year. 

 

Newton said teachers will support students in the upkeep of the garden. 

 

“We would like to continue to build it to provide an outdoor learning environment and, when yielding enough, a community outreach to provide fresh food items to those needing it,” Newton said.

 

Danielle All, one of the first-grade teachers who helped transform the garden, describes the garden as a safe place where students can come to remember Nassyrov. “This is to honor him and remember the joy he brought to everybody.”