Dear FNPS Parents and Carers,

While I have had the chance to meet many of you, I’d like to take the time to say a proper hello and introduce myself. My name is Lucy Ballard and I have the incredible privilege of being the new Kitchen Garden Teacher for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program (SAKGP). Starting in 2025, all students in Years 3 to 6 will have the opportunity to participate in this pleasurable food education program; growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing delicious meals from the seasonal produce (SAKGF, 2024).

As a school that values learning beyond the classroom and developing skills that all humans need to become kind, respectful and resilient citizens, I am thrilled to be working alongside our community to re-establish this program. Our SAKG program is how we plan to strengthen our sense of community, and promote wellness and a lifelong love for learning. As a school, we will aim to cultivate not only a flourishing seasonal garden but a culture of health and sustainability at FNPS.

In the kitchen, students will develop fundamental cooking skills, prepare meals using the fresh produce they have grown and share these meals as a learning community. In the garden, students will explore the wonders of a seasonal garden, growing, caring and harvesting a range of Indigenous and European crops. By linking gardening with cooking, we will empower students to understand where their food comes from and emphasize the importance of positive, healthy relationships with food. Each changing season will bring new opportunities for our students to learn from the garden and develop real world skills including practicing resilience, responsibility, and problem-solving as we work together in the garden and kitchen.

From the beginning, we envision the Kitchen Garden Program as a community-wide initiative that thrives off of the support, engagement and expertise of our parents, carers, and community members. As we re-establish the educational kitchen and garden space on our school grounds in these upcoming months I hope to call on anyone willing to contribute to this vision. In the new school year, we will invite parents, local businesses, tradespeople, and community members to participate in Working Bees, volunteer days in the kitchen, and share their knowledge and skills.

The SAKG program at FNPS represents a transformative sustainability initiative that I am honoured to be a part of and am confident will enrich our students’ educational experience. It is truly a dream of mine to build a Kitchen Garden program that holds space for hands-on learning, positive food habits, and life skill development.

I thank you for your support and belief in this program and I look forward to working alongside you all as we bring life back into the kitchen and garden spaces at FNPS. I will be reaching out shortly with more information and updates on the program development as the term goes on, but please feel free to contact me via email with any questions or comments.

With many thanks, Lucy Ballard (she/her)

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