To say our 2nd grade students are excited by working in the school garden would definitely be an understatement! This year’s changes to our Science and Leadership program have allowed our 2nd grade students the opportunity to grow more than tomato’s in our school garden. With the help of Garden to Table curriculum, Mrs. Barone, Mrs. Parker and Mr. Andy have been working hard to design and begin implementing 2nd grade science standards with strong connections to the garden.

While much of the standards are taught within the classroom setting, further connections and hands on implementation happens in the garden. This year the 2nd graders are focusing on these components:

How can we grow enough food in our garden to make a salad for the whole 2nd grade?

How do people successfully care for plants in a garden to produce healthy crops?

What animals live in our community that pollinate, help our soil and our garden thrive?

How does our garden help our community?

Our 2nd graders spend some of their Wednesday lunch recess harvesting for the Food Bank, over a hundred pounds of food from our garden have been donated already this year. Friday afternoons see students rotating through garden tasks, weeding, watering, composting and now….set up of our NEW HYDROPONICS! We will be growing year round.

Watch for our monthly updates of Science and Leadership opportunities happening at every grade level. October…… 4th grade at the Lyons RedStone Museum!