The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, recently donated a total of $5,000 to the Waldorf School of Garden City to contribute towards the building of its greenhouse on campus as part of the bank’s commitment to giving back to the community.

For over 65 years the Waldorf School has had a vibrant gardening and horticulture program. The new greenhouse ensures year-round gardening where students can collect seeds and grow plants. Adjustable walls allow students to examine and control the greenhouse’s climate while exploring plants, as well as experiment with water movement, pollination and nutrition. The greenhouse is also equipped with a solar panel.

“Integrating a greenhouse as a learning environment offers boundless opportunities,” said Waldorf’s horticulture and gardening teacher Ms. Jeannine Davis. “It promotes student responsibility, and helps develop students’ confidence and pride as they display and share the fruits (and vegetables and flowers) of their labor.”

Since the School’s beginnings in 1947, gardening and the environment have been an integral part of the Waldorf curriculum. Students play an active role in on-campus sustainability initiatives including composting, recycling and gardening. In the 1950s, former Waldorf School of Garden City teacher Marjorie Spock brought the county and state to trial for spraying DDT on her garden. Her persistence caught the eye of many journalists including Rachel Carson whose subsequent book Silent Spring (1962) played a significant role in the environmental movement and the creation of Earth Day.

“TD Bank is extremely happy to support an initiative that helps promote a more sustainable future and educates young people on the importance of the environment,” said Ed Blaskey, Market President, TD Bank. “We believe that social responsibility is more than just a phrase – it’s an integral part of our commitment to service and building stronger communities, and we are proud to work with an organization that supports these values.”

In addition to Waldorf’s 10-acre campus in Garden City, the Waldorf School of Garden City operates Camp Glen Brook which consists of 240 acres of farmland and forests in southwestern New Hampshire. For students, the entire gardening process awakens their senses and encourages an awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.

A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental initiatives, many of which focus on improving the welfare of children and families.

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made $108.4 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation’s areas of focus are affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.

About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD.” To learn more, visit www.td.com.

About the Waldorf School of Garden City

Located on Cambridge Avenue, adjacent to the Adelphi University campus, the Waldorf School of Garden City is a college preparatory day school teaching early childhood through Grade 12. For more information about the School and its unique curriculum, please call (516) 742-3434 or visit www.waldorfgarden.org. The School will host a number of different Admissions events during the month of November.