The following is an update from Mr. Canada on the school’s garden…
Hello Stoddert Parents,
Just think we’re about 60 days away from Spring. Oh how quickly the days go by, however it is still winter and the kids are asking me whether we’re having Garden class.
If the temperature permits, your kids will experience a winter garden experience outdoors.
Gardening and learning doesn’t stop simply because it is winter. Stoddert has a winter garden program for our students.
For example, our Pre K class recently learned about migration and why certain fowl and animals retreat to warmer weather. They also built their own bird feeders.
Our Kindergarten students became helpers in designing homes or hives for our friends, mason and leaf cutter bees who will be arriving in February and May. These bees will help increase the pollinator population in our garden. Please visit their visual work displayed in front of the Science room.
First graders participated in a project to increase our garden produce while deterring unwanted four-legged visitors by creating animal like characters using geometric manipulatives to be placed around the parameter of the garden and raised garden beds.
2nd graders built additional hives using the visual art previously designed by our kindergarten students.
3rd and 4th grade level students will take part in building or constructing the actual pieces from the visuals.
We are still in the formative phase discussing our 5th grade Stoddert Garden Legacy projects which will involve, restoration, maintenance, visual media, and a personal written reflections.
In March, we will have a former beekeeper from the Smithsonian sharing their story about bees.
Urban Forestry, a division of DDOT, have placed an assortment of new trees on our schoolyard. I will need parent volunteers to water the trees twice a week. Please contact me, if you are interested and available.
Feel free to take home one of our portable compost bins for composting.
Thank you for your continued support of our school’s garden.
Mr Canada