Edible School Garden

We are hoping to have a school garden operational in term 4, 2016. The garden ‘s primary purpose is to help support the Food Technology’s new study design, which has a focus on food science, agriculture, sustainability and the source of our food supply.

Though this is the reason for starting this project, l believe that a vegetable garden can be utilised by the whole school. It provides a context for understanding both simple and complex concepts (volume and area, for instance), tracking changes over time, and distinguishing between biotic and abiotic.

It is a place where students practice skills like measurement, scientific observation, informative writing, and poetry. The garden will incorporate bush tucker and a French garden area to fit with many areas of our school’s curriculum.

Garden-based learning can bridge academic subjects in a way that not only imparts skills and conten, but also helps students understand why these skills are important and how they can be useful. The schoolyard garden is a sensory-rich change in environment from the classroom, with many cross curricular benefits, and l hope that many teachers will work the garden into their classwork.

Students will learn about sustainability, nutrition, eco systems, seasons and team work. Restless students can work in the garden to clear their head and engage in a practical activity. Outdoor classes will be encouraged as the garden will be situated in a traffic free area, behind the bike shed, fenced off and secluded. Once the garden has been established, we will fundraise for an outdoor oven and a seating area; this will give us many opportunities to use the garden for cooking demonstrations and for social gatherings.

This is pretty big job, and the more teachers, parents and students involved, the lighter the work load and the more successful the project will be! I am hoping to put together a committee of students and teachers to meet once a month to discuss ways that the garden can be maintained, improved, used and fundraised for. If you are interested in being involved, please email me.

MICHELLE HELYER

hellyer.michelle.m@edumail.vic.gov.au

Fundraisers

We have already raised $395.50 during the Year 9 YEP Carnival Day, and $154.05 on Burger Nights at McDonalds.

Come down to Tasman Meats along High Street, Melton on Sunday, the 11th of September. We are serving up sasauges from 8am to 4pm to raise funds that will go towards soil, mulch, seedlings, fruit trees, worm farm and equipment.