Elementary Enrichment Rain Barrel Beautification & Installation
In Celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2014
Elementary Enrichment Rain Barrel Beautification & Installation Today your child participated in this a creative process that builds community and promotes sustainability. This registered Green Apple event was sponsored by Holland Township School’s S.E.E.D. The artistic theme for painting the two rain barrels is inspired by Lois Ehlert’s Growing Vegetable Soup and Planting a Rainbow. S.E.E.D has helped us acquire two more rain barrels for our Discovery Garden which increases our school building’s water conservation practices in the garden by 50%. This is one of our Sustainable School goals for this school year. THANK YOU S.E.E.D! What is a registered 2014 Green Apple Event for The Center for Green Schools? The goal of The Center for Green Schools is to make sure that every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. The Center supports and works with staff, teachers, parents, students, and community members to transform all schools into healthier places to live and learn, work and play. http://www.mygreenapple.org/
Our HTS Discovery Garden-based learning provides continuous connections and real-world experiences for… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Outdoor Environment Nutrition Learning Achievement Health and Wellness Life Skills Social Connections
While weather and organism life cycles occur jn nature, it is the utilizing of various technologies such as growlabs, rain barrels, composters, and greenhouses that directly fosters student engagement, to provide garden stewardship and promote sustainable school thinking. The garden is about cultivating relationships, exploring where our food comes from and celebrating and preparing garden food. This is an exciting way to show respect for the value of our unique culture. Most importantly, although plants need to be watered, (and the weeds are ever present), the most important part of our garden is having fun, learning through doing and enjoying each other! The design and development of our outdoor classroom is student-centered. The students can genuinely engage with each other, explore within the garden space and assume personal responsibility for their actions. When there is a plentiful harvest of produce and a lot of flowers, the school community benefits from shared food and beauty. However, the individual student applies critical reflections through simple gestures of thoughtfulness and small acts of respect through tasks. Thus, the student develops a broader scope and life-long interest for his/her community. The ultimate goal for HTS gardening is not raising crops, it is growing capable, committed, proficient, reflective, and caring students.
Rain Barrel Resource: http://water.rutgers.edu/Stormwater_Management/rainbarrels.html http://njaes.rutgers.edu/environment/rainbarrel-trainer-success-stories.asp *Please follow the development of our Sustainable School Webpage this week on the school’s website. More to follow about our Half Day Sustainable Lunches and Reducing Waste in the Lunchrooms through the website. Where We Learn Matters, Mrs. Bacskai Please provide feedback by emailing me directly at [email protected]
Elementary Enrichment Rain Barrel Beautification & Installation Today your child participated in this a creative process that builds community and promotes sustainability. This registered Green Apple event was sponsored by Holland Township School’s S.E.E.D. The artistic theme for painting the two rain barrels is inspired by Lois Ehlert’s Growing Vegetable Soup and Planting a Rainbow. S.E.E.D has helped us acquire two more rain barrels for our Discovery Garden which increases our school building’s water conservation practices in the garden by 50%. This is one of our Sustainable School goals for this school year. THANK YOU S.E.E.D! What is a registered 2014 Green Apple Event for The Center for Green Schools? The goal of The Center for Green Schools is to make sure that every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. The Center supports and works with staff, teachers, parents, students, and community members to transform all schools into healthier places to live and learn, work and play. http://www.mygreenapple.org/
Our HTS Discovery Garden-based learning provides continuous connections and real-world experiences for… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Outdoor Environment Nutrition Learning Achievement Health and Wellness Life Skills Social Connections
While weather and organism life cycles occur jn nature, it is the utilizing of various technologies such as growlabs, rain barrels, composters, and greenhouses that directly fosters student engagement, to provide garden stewardship and promote sustainable school thinking. The garden is about cultivating relationships, exploring where our food comes from and celebrating and preparing garden food. This is an exciting way to show respect for the value of our unique culture. Most importantly, although plants need to be watered, (and the weeds are ever present), the most important part of our garden is having fun, learning through doing and enjoying each other! The design and development of our outdoor classroom is student-centered. The students can genuinely engage with each other, explore within the garden space and assume personal responsibility for their actions. When there is a plentiful harvest of produce and a lot of flowers, the school community benefits from shared food and beauty. However, the individual student applies critical reflections through simple gestures of thoughtfulness and small acts of respect through tasks. Thus, the student develops a broader scope and life-long interest for his/her community. The ultimate goal for HTS gardening is not raising crops, it is growing capable, committed, proficient, reflective, and caring students.
Rain Barrel Resource: http://water.rutgers.edu/Stormwater_Management/rainbarrels.html http://njaes.rutgers.edu/environment/rainbarrel-trainer-success-stories.asp *Please follow the development of our Sustainable School Webpage this week on the school’s website. More to follow about our Half Day Sustainable Lunches and Reducing Waste in the Lunchrooms through the website. Where We Learn Matters, Mrs. Bacskai Please provide feedback by emailing me directly at [email protected]
