Primary School Kitchen Garden News
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
Kitchen-Garden News - 5th November, 2021
Wominjeka students and families,
October 26> December 21 –marks in the Wurundjeri traditional seasonal calendarMyrnong Kulin-Jumbunna– Yam Daisy Harvest and Men’s Business
Welcome back to Year 5 & 6 students to their Kitchen garden on-site lessons! I am so looking forward to seeing these students and working with them at SCHOOL! I wish to thank and acknowledge the excellent effort from grade 5 and 6 students and the families who have supported them at home, for their continued engagement in the Kitchen Garden remote curriculum. The live stream Wednesday cooking and gardening lessons had excellent attendance and a big thanks to all students for their respectful and patient on-line efforts, especially when connection issues occurred!
Garden Update:
The Kitchen Garden received quite a battering from last Fridays very impactful storm! Broad bean patches, leeks, chards and trellised plants were damaged. The coming classes will have many clearing, chopping, composting, harvesting and pruning jobs to do and will be able to quickly repair and re-invigorate the garden. Aged compost will be spread over the beds before we plant our summer crops.
A huge thank-you to Trevor and Simon for their building expertise, as they assisted me over the last term replacing broken infrastructure. Recycled materials such as saved school fencing, old/broken student desks, bricks and saved building materials have been utilised and made into benches for potting, a sink/hand-washing area, arbours and fences.
Trevor has continued to beautifully improve our school grounds for our students by opening up the SAKG Learning Centre seating area for general school use, moving gates, replacing fencing and improving site lines for yard duty. He has introduced more seating for the summer months and provided a beautiful shaded outdoor classroom space for all to use.
Thank-you Trevor!
SAKG Learning Centre Garden:
With the resignation of Margaret Finger in December 2019 (wonderful K.G garden volunteer of 10 years) and employee of SAKGF, who maintained their teaching garden and the ongoing COVID 19 restrictions, this garden area has been dormant since then. Excitingly SAKGF and Collingwood College are now sharing this resource with Moving Feast GROW. Moving Feast is a collective of social enterprises formed during the pandemic, working together to cook, grow and deliver food to vulnerable people in Victoria. Moving Feast gardeners are maintaining the garden boxes, supplying the seedlings and harvesting the crops.
As always….. when you can“garden, cook and share with those you love”
Desley Insall
Resources needed if you have any at home:
- Creative & fun clothing appropriate for Scarecrows-varying sizes
- Assorted coloured wool or string.
- Potted cuttings of beneficial insect attracting plants eg: Lavender, Echinacea, Salvias, Butterfly plant, Daisies-all varieties & colours, Lamb's ears, no-thorn roses, natives.
- Red and purple foliage plants, e.g. red Canna, dwarf Tradesecantia, Berginia, Lamium, Salvias (Blue & Pink), Bloodleaf
Please drop into the office or to K.G room Monday> Wednesday.
About the Kitchen Garden Program
Collingwood College students participate in our Kitchen Garden Program as part of their school curriculum in Grades 3-6. Garden classroom occur outside in all weather conditions, with students learning, exploring and practising the skills and knowledge to grow a diverse range of vegetables, fruit and herbs using organic growing methods. Students then harvest our seasonal produce for cooking a range of (95% vegetarian) delicious dishes in their kitchen classroom. The student’s learn and practise kitchen skills, techniques and terminology and also importantly, their communication skills, creativity and teamwork while dishes are being prepared.
Students, staff and volunteers sit at beautifully set tables sharing the dishes created. Voicing opinions respectfully, as all students can benefit from sharing their individual learning efforts. Knowledge is documented in Kitchen garden books and shared to our school community via email, E/news, display boards and importantly by our students.
For our students, an integral part of the enjoyment and richness of the classroom experience is the depth and loyalty of volunteering we have for our school program. These exceptional people of all ages, interests, backgrounds and skills ensure our curriculum goals are supported for our students. Potential volunteers do not need garden or cooking experience! Attributes we seek are a personal interest to support our K.G program philosophy, assisting students in their learning around food diversity, seasonality, sustainability, garden and cooking skills. The K.G learning importantly supports and explores student’s emotional connection and enjoyment in regards to growing and cooking seasonal food. Good humour and the excitement of learning new skills and knowledge in a shared environment, the ability to commit to a day/time are also attributes we seek in our volunteers.
We welcome applications from persons in our school community, or friends/family who wish to apply to be a Kitchen garden volunteer. Please send an email to me at
Insall.desley.d@edumail.vic.gov.au
Please look at our school website (K.G page), if you are new to our school community for more information. Classes run in Monday-Wednesday.
For those who may want to support our students and teachers in another way-we are always thank-full for people to garden outside class times or on other days. Please feel free to email me with any questions. Tours for potential volunteers will usually occur after school hours with arrangement.
With thanks,
Desley Insall
Kitchen Garden Specialist Teacher & Volunteer Coordinator