Garden and Environment

Garden and Environment News

Winter-time in the Garden has continued to be fun for curious investigators, chicken fanciers and all round task collaborators.

In learning sessions, Foundation have been exploring communities of life in trees, soil and under rocks and logs. They love investigating the frog bog and wondering where the frogs live, what they could eat and how they might grow and change. Recently, they took a deep dive into flowers and discovered that they have different shapes, sizes and colours. They talked a lot about bees and their connection to flowers and discovered other insects and animals who feed on flowers too.

Year One students have been exploring seeds, their forms and how they grow, all leading to discovering the life cycle of a plant. They have been thinking as scientists, using what they already know to make predictions and to design simple experiments to test ‘facts’ or ideas. They have learned that the root emerges from seeds, followed by the shoot and hypothesised about why this happens. 

Year Two have been pondering how to know what is alive and have established criteria to check. They have learned about how scientists organise all life on earth, and about the classes of animals, using features and behaviours to help them identify birds, reptiles, mammals, fish and insects. They had fun simulating pollination with popcorn, icing sugar and straws to see how easily pollen is spread while ‘feeding’.

Year Three are using materials and forms in nature to inspire and design something useful or beautiful of their own. Year Four have been helping to make use of repurposed materials such as cardboard to build insulating layers of compostable nutrients for spring planting.

Years Five and Six have been collaborating in teams to undertake garden maintenance tasks such as bed preparation, chicken coop care, pest investigation, mulching and even preparing recycled terracotta pots for a creative planting project early next term.

Happy First birthday to our beautiful chickens, Phoenix, Scarlett, Elizabeth and Galena. We thank them (and their student and family carers) for bringing so much enjoyment to our school community.

Kate Newman, Garden/Environment Teacher

Belinda Williams, Horticulturist