TAMPA, Fla. — A Pinellas County physical education teacher is going above and beyond for her students. Sofia Forte is doing that in a couple of different ways.

She started and maintains a community garden in the back of John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg. The students work in the garden, too. One of the things they grow is miniature tomatoes.

“And the kids think like they are strawberries,” said Forte. “They just pick them, rinse them and eat them.”

Forte said her father helped to start the garden and worked in it for years before his passing. She used the garden initially to get some disruptive boys to refocus their energy.

“This was an alternative to change some behaviors and energy,” she said.

She feels like she is passing along her family tradition of gardening to her students.

“They like to come out and get their hands in it and actually see if growing. That’s when the excitement starts,” said Forte.

Forte also started a shoe closet at the school. She discreetly provides shoes to needy students. “Well, believe it or not, some kids are kind of mean,” she said. “They are kind of bullies. And just because of the shoes you have on, you are picked on. So, you can come over to grandma and get a pair of Jordans.”

Members of the community donate most of the shoes. But some people see her social media posts about the shoes and people have sent shoes from as far away as Washington State and Dubai.

Every student who gets a pair of shoes is required to write a letter to an anonymous donor. The student needs to say why they needed the shoes and how thankful they are.

Forte says those letters are an important lesson for the students.

“Because they just have to know that you don’t just get it. You’ve got to be thankful for what you get.”