John F. Mendoza Elementary School students joined volunteers Saturday to turn a neglected patch of schoolyard into a more welcoming garden and outdoor classroom. The east Las Vegas project brought together 161 volunteers, according to organizer Rod Hicken. A local landscaping company delivered 44 tons of crushed reddish rock, which families and students moved by wheelbarrow and spread around the garden beds. Volunteers also built wooden benches, painted a dinosaur mural on a concrete wall and decorated stones with encouraging messages for a winding feature called the “River of Kindness.” A refurbished whiteboard and privacy slats for the chain-link fence were expected to arrive in the days after the workday. Donated pop-up shade structures will help make the area usable as an outdoor classroom. The garden has been part of the school for several years, producing vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. Students have grown crops including peas, carrots, pumpkins, eggplants and watermelons, along with marigolds that attract pollinators. A visiting horticulturist advises the students and takes on tasks that are difficult for young gardeners. Students sell some of their harvest, along with crafts such as bookmarks and reusable produce bags, at student farmers markets. Mendoza students were scheduled to take part Wednesday in the 13th annual Giant Student Farmers Market at the Clark County Government Center. The garden’s recent condition reflected the challenges of maintaining it. Principal Rebecka Christensen said construction of a nearby school wing several years ago left the plot neglected. Gravel had blown away and tumbleweeds had taken hold. The school serves many low-income families, as well as students learning English and students with special education needs, and has limited resources and staff time for upkeep. Hicken, a retired facilities employee who lives on the east side, noticed the overgrown garden while passing the school this spring. His children attended Mendoza when they were young, and he organized the volunteer effort through JustServe, a community service platform. His daughter’s connection to Home Depot helped secure donated supplies and labor, while Clark County School District grounds workers cleared tumbleweeds ahead of the workday. For students, the garden is about more than growing food. Third-grade teacher Antoniea Prologo-Cargill, who advises the gardening club, said it gives children a chance to connect without the pressure of classroom performance. Her daughter, 8-year-old Ember Cargill, was painting the mural during the volunteer day. “If you help people, then the people that you help will help you,” Ember said. Fifth-grader Jounher Allen helped move rock and said she enjoys planting. She hopes to grow orange and mango trees in a garden of her own one day.