Sarah Panageotou at The Guardians Academy says she teaches her kindergarten class through real-life experiences. Author: Tami Tremblay Updated: 6:46 AM MDT April 8, 2021 MERIDIAN, Idaho — On a windy day at The Guardian's Academy in Meridian, small hands are preparing for the growing season. "I try to make all things exciting and hands-on," said Sarah Panageotou, who teaches kindergarten at the academy. Panageotou says her students have been involved in the entire process of planting gardens. "They got to build the garden boxes, they got to go with me to the Northend Nursery to pick out the seeds they wanted to grow. They put them in the ground, and now they have to take care of them and water them and see the whole process from start to finish," explained Panageotou. "They don't just get a final product and something quickly taught about it. They see that some of the best things take a lot of hard work."