WE'RE BACK!

Welcome back to all of the children participating in the kitchen garden program. We've had a great start for the new Grade 3's and the Grade 4's.

Our garden is flourishing.

Thank you to all those that have registered to volunteer.

Mary Giannakopoulos

Garden Specialist

KITCHEN

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE TO VOLUNTEERING FROM THE KITCHEN PROGRAM

On behalf of the students and the teachers, I would like to extend a VERY BIG THANK YOU to ALL families who have volunteered to help in the kitchen program this term.

The rosters have been emailed to all volunteers.

I am looking forward to a great term of cooking with you all.

Last week we located equipment and utensils in the kitchen and identified their purpose.

We also practised our measuring skills using electronic scales and measuring cups and spoons.

For the next couple of weeks, we will be looking at safety practices, kitchen routines and different techniques used for chopping.

Euanna Evans

Kitchen Specialist

SAKG – What the Parents Say!

I came to the The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program as a community volunteer and have felt welcome since its inception. This is my sixth year.

I like the idea that l can be part of the way children think about food and to teach students how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, nutritious food.

l help with the kids, share an occasional joke and have been part of teaching them lifelong skills .

As a volunteer, I give a little bit and get so much back. It’s really special and l wouldn’t miss it.

Karen Lees

What lucky children the students of Murrumbeena Primary School are! The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is simply the best! I’ve witnessed all the children’s sense of achievement when they get their wheelbarrow licence, when they find see how ‘their’ seeds have grown into plants taller than themselves, when they can pick produce they have grown, and when they finally get to cook and eat ‘their' vegetables.

This non-competitive program teaches children so much! They not only learn about gardening and cooking (which are so important for us all at any age) but also:

co-operation with their class mates,
the rewards which come from patience and physical effort,
communication skills
practical application of maths and measurement
hygiene
organisation skills
table manners
diversity of cultures and cuisines
appreciation of their sense of taste
best of all, is seeing the excitement on their smiling faces when they discover something new.

Fairly Nassau

Volunteering in the SAKG has been a total eye-opener for me. I knew intellectually what a good idea the concept was, but once I saw it in action myself, I was blown away.

The kids get so much out of it.

SAKG:

· affects their appreciation of where good healthy food comes from

· increases their openness to new and different foods

· gives them a chance to get dirty in the garden and creative in the kitchen.

As a direct result of taking part in SAKG, my son has told us he doesn’t want to go to McDonalds any more. This gave the whole family the chance to talk about the differences between fast food and real food, and we agreed that we will look for healthier options when we go out on long car trips.

I didn’t realise how much my participation meant to my son until one day I had to miss a session in the garden and he said how disappointed he was. It turns out that it means a lot to him to share some of his school day with me. I’m very grateful for the tangible opportunity SAKG provides to show my child that his school experiences are important and interesting to me.

Finally, volunteering in SAKG also provides me personally with positive benefits I hadn’t anticipated. It gives me the chance to meet some of the other kids and parents in my son’s class and get to know them better. It makes me feel more a part of the school community.

If you can fit it in, I wholeheartedly recommend taking part. The advantages definitely outweigh the small amount of time volunteering takes.

Ana Constantinou

The SAKG program is something you will look back on!

“What should I do next?” Everyone is eager to participate, the vibe is high, but team members learn to take turns, sharing the tasks whether it is dishwashing or cracking an egg.

As you can imagine, there is a lot going on in the kitchen. Learning how to handle different knives, scraping the plates and washing the dishes, returning utensils, placing flower petals and mint leaves in a water jug and preparing the fresh ingredients from the school garden. Finally, enjoying the meal whilst sitting around the very kitchen table they have worked on.

As a volunteer, these are the priceless moments I have been privileged to witness. Seeing our children grow not only through books and numbers, but through growing, preparing and appreciating what they have made with friends in a safe environment.

“I miss kitchen classes, don’t you?” Glancing over the kitchen, students from grade 6’s talk to one another.

One day, I will too!

Jee Yoon Kim (4A)

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