A week before school started, 30 teachers, parents, students, and community members came out on a Saturday morning to clear out nine weedy beds behind the school. When school started, the vegetable beds were completely empty. Compost was mixed into the beds and five were divided into 1 foot squares. (Our kindergartners used their excellent counting skills to measure out the beds!)
Planting: The second day of school the planting began! One class each of the following grades - Kindergarten, K/1, 2nd, 5th and Exceptional Ed - all planted rainbow chard, lettuce, collards, broccoli, cabbage, and radishes. The 1st graders learned about herbs and dried herbs in the classroom. 2nd graders planted bulbs, ornamental cabbage, and pansies. Mr. Mitchell’s 3rd graders planted vegetables -- including radishes that grew to the size of beets! Everyone had the chance to dig in and get their hands dirty!
In addition to planting fall vegetables, the students did a little experimenting. They planted pumpkin seeds and squash seeds, even though it was a little too late in the season (our young scientists discovered that pumpkin plants did not survive when it got cold). Teachers enjoyed planting fall crops as a way to discuss seasons and weather, as well. Second grade teacher Ms. Williams even had her students come outside with their thermometers to take the garden’s temperature. It was a great, interactive way to teach!
Maintenance: Soon after the green leaves appeared, the children quickly discovered that something was eating the broccoli and cabbage. Using their detective skills, they investigated & asked good questions to find the culprits. From in class & garden-side discussions, they discovered that cabbage worms were dining on their veggies! Teachers & garden folks rounded out the discovery with information about the four stages of the cabbage worms’ life cycle. They also had the opportunity to see the worms for themselves and, if they were so brave, could help the garden grow by picking the insects off the leaves.
Observation and predication: Moving past memorization, Holton’s students have been learning to make sense of their world through garden exploration. The beds have been a lovely way to expand classroom learning as the children discover & observe with all five senses.
One fun activity included teachers dividing the classes into small groups. Teachers gave the children toilet paper tubes, through which they could only see a small section of garden. In that small section, the groups were asked to make specific observations, using much focus, attention and cooperation. They were also challenged with making predictions about what they saw. One group noticed with the change in fall sunlight, that the plants might not survive & thrive much longer and wondered what the winter might bring.
Enjoying the garden: Fresh veggies are delicious! Several classes ate salad made with both red and green lettuce harvested from our garden. Ms. Meyer’s class even had a swiss chard salad, made even more kid friendly with craisins, mandarin oranges, and salad dressing – yum! Many of our fall veggies were inspirational in the soup recipes chosen for this years’ first annual Harvest Festival!
Next steps: A small compost pile has been started in part of Ms. Smart’s garden bed. The students put garden waste, pumpkins, coffee grounds, and leaves into the bed & mix it with the soil. Microorganisms will break down the waste into a rich fertilizer to feed the plantings. Lots of great math & science opportunities abound with the compost!
Brad Pearson has put up two Hoop Houses. The Hoop House can keep the plants a little warmer when there is a hard frost and will also allow earlier spring plantings. This is another fun experiment and will guide future seasonal plantings.
We hope to break ground in the spring on the Dandelion Garden and Hudson House, but even in this very small space, students are having fun and learning! Teachers, parents & community members are coming together to help this project blossom. The outdoor classroom and expanded garden beds will offer endless opportunities for the students. And, as the children put their hands in the earth and pull out the harvest of their hard work, they’re learning something timeless about caring for our community and our planet.
Call for student writers, artists, and photographers. Let us know if you are interested.
Kristin Cummings, kcummings7@verizon.net
Susanna Raffenot, sraffenot@verizon.net
Ellen Shepard, ellenshepard@yahoo.com
http://holtonlearninggardens.tumblr.com/
http://linwoodholtonpta.blogspot.com/2009/09/welcome-to-holton-happenings.html
