Kitchen Gardens Program

Kingswood High School has engaged specialist Kitchen Garden Teacher, Stefan

Diakanastasis from Penrith Lakes Environmental Education Center (PLEEC) for the duration of 2020. The aim of the project is to continue to deliver a comprehensive

Kitchen Garden Program that creates a cultural change within students and the community. Students have been trained and supported to develop their skills and knowledge in sustainably growing and maintaining a vegetable garden. The program is run on Friday with both Agriculture and Technology Mandatory classes participating, as well as a lunchtime interest group.

Term 3, students phased into returning to school following COVID online learning, and were eager to participate in outdoor lessons. Over a series of 10 weeks the students participated in practical lessons that developed their knowledge of how to grow food. The students' learning was supported with knowledge building in the classroom through a series of lessons that developed the student's living world knowledge of how to grow vegetables. Student engagement was of a high level and the teaching and learning program was differentiated to meet the individual learning needs of students. 

Term 4, some classes changed and rejoined the program, giving students the opportunity to once again practise the skills and apply the knowledge that they had learnt earlier in the year. Student engagement continued to remain high, with students commenting on their enjoyment of outdoor learning, particularly during the most stressful times in the term.

HIGHLIGHTS

● Assembly and utilisation of additional raised garden beds, bringing the garden total to 18.

● Construction of a simple compost heap with plans to upgrade in due course.

● Raising a range of vegetables and herbs including lettuce, dill, parsnip, radish, corn, spinach, beans and more.

● Comprehensive lessons delivered to build students gardening and nutritional knowledge.

● Established a routine lunchtime group visit from the support unit to enhance school engagement, wellbeing and belonging.

● Seeds saved from the strongest growing and highest yield plants to be used in future crops to improve overall yield. 

● Established a clear path forward with the use of the garden and ways to greater build its use into classes.