Gardening

Kii community - welcome to gardening 2024!

This term students in Foundation, and years 1, 2 and 2/3S will participate in gardening on Thursdays and Fridays

We are also trialling a Friday afternoon community garden session; where parents and caregivers are invited to drop in anytime from 2:30 to 3:30pm to help in the garden. Siblings welcome - adults please sign in at the office with your WWCC. 

The TPS Gardening program is a nature-based learning experience, which is hands-on and immersive. It weaves together themes of Caring for Country, Health and Wellbeing, Nature Play and STEM.  

Designed on research that nature-based play and learning can improve children's mental health and cognitive development, the program introduces children to basic understandings in botany, ecology, and horticulture. First Peoples knowledge of plants and their uses for food, medicines and fibres is embedded. It is Victorian Curriculum and VEYLDF aligned.  

During each session, a key environmental focus is explored, followed by a choice of age-appropriate real-world tasks such as digging, planting, weeding, seed saving, watering, composting, sweeping, raking and chook care.

Children are also invited to participate in open ended nature play experiences, for example loose parts play, cubby construction and sensory, imaginative play

Whilst cooking is not a core component of the program due to current access to suitable facilities, children are encouraged to harvest and taste food produce, and occasionally prepare simple recipes to share.  

The objective of the program is to provide an opportunity for children to:

· Spend time experiencing and learning from the natural world

· Value and act in caring for the environment and our school grounds

· Develop their knowledge of and connection to the natural world  

· Learn with all of their senses

Parents and caregivers are invited to support the program – some ways to do this are listed below

Join the TPS Enviros

Attend Working Bees

Volunteer to help during a gardening session

Share a skill  

Adopt an area of the school to care for (big or small)  

Donate plants, seedlings, seeds, tools etc.  

Looking forward to learning and growing with you this year 

Emily