Rhema parent Jason Derry and his co-worker Gord Phillips were hard at work this week using granite slabs and mulch to give the gardens around the school’s front door and sign a new look.

Gord Phillips and Jason Derry construct new gardens around Rhema's sign.

Derry, owner of Kawartha Stone Works, says he decided to donate his services to Rhema because it is a wonderful school.

"You can only get back what you give," he says.

Derry and his wife, Jennifer, donated the stone and labour towards the project. When the limestone slabs and mulch is ready Jennifer will plant the shrubs.

Principal Ray Hendriks says it was obvious the entrance needed to be landscaped and the Derry family stepped forward. Derry helped to put in the base of Rhema’s new school sign when it was donated.

David and Tammy Wood own Triland Environmental and work with Derry. They donated premium mulch for the project. The Woods have two children attending Rhema, and their oldest child recently graduated from the school.

“We knew he (Derry) was doing the job and needed some mulch, and we could provide it,” says Tammy.

Tammy says as a Rhema parent, it is nice to donate to the school if you have the means to do so.

Katie DeWolfe works at Johnston’s Greenhouse. She donated the annuals and Johnston’s is giving Rhema a discount on the shrubs.

DeWolfe, who has two daughters at Rhema, is an alumnus of the school. “It’s nice to do things where you can and when you can,” she says of volunteering to donate and plant the annuals.

“It’s nice to help out and to get that community support,” says DeWolfe.