1. home and garden

Thank you for coming to learn about
The Errol Road Public School
Garden Project Committee
At Errol Road Public School, we
believe in giving our students
excellent opportunities to learn the
Ontario Curriculum in a variety of
ways, meeting the needs of all our
learners.
To plant a garden is to believe in
tomorrow.
~ Audrey Hepburn
My name is Mme. Ward. I have taught at
Errol Road for 4 years. I am a mother of
three, an avid gardener and environmentalist. A goal I share with many parents
and educators is to connect children with
nature, knowledge and a healthy lifestyle.
Unless someone like you cares
a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better.
It's not.
~ Dr. Seuss
Last year, we began a humble little garden...
It was humble, but it connected to some
BIG things:
~ Vermicomposting pilot project through the
LKDSB Science Education Partnership and
Bluewater Sustainability Initiative Gen Y
~ Food Works program through
One Tomato Organization
~ Educational field trips like to Smith Farm.
~ Registered our garden
with “Imagine a Garden
in Every School”
We discovered that a school garden can be a hub for
learning. It brings together students, teachers,
parents and the community.
As the garden grows, so does the gardener.
~ Anonymous
This year, Errol Road has proposed to extend this garden to a garden project:
~ A place of learning for all kindergarten to grade 8 students
~ A place to promote hands-on, inquiry and collaborative based learning
~ A place to teach Science, Health, Social Studies and other curriculum
~ A place to play, and promote physical and mental well-being
~ A place for our school community to come together
~ A place to connect our school to the outside community
Some examples of lesson plans
Seed saving: Preserving the Legacy
To teach the concept of seed saving by collecting tomato
seeds from this year’s garden for planting next season
Stem, Root, Leaf or Fruit?
Students classify foods and herbs they eat
according to plant parts, and harvest snacks
from the garden
Spotlight on the Monarch butterfly
Learn about the importance of milkweed
to their life cycle
Did you know that research shows school gardens…
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Improve social skills and behaviour.
Improve environmental attitudes.
Instil appreciation and respect for nature that lasts into adulthood.
Improve life skills, including working with groups and self-understanding.
Significantly increase science achievement scores.
Increase interest in eating fruits and vegetables
Increases mental well-being
Increasing evidence demonstrates the many benefits of nature on children's psychological
and physical well-being, including reduced stress, greater physical health, more creativity
and improved concentration.
Dr. Martha Erikson, American Psychology Association
You can bury a lot of troubles
digging in the dirt.
~Author Unknown
The Errol Road Garden Project will ideally consist of:
~ 4 L shaped raised beds for each of our divisions: K, Primary, Junior & Intermediate
- Each division sets their own curricular goals and projects
~ 4 square/rectangular shaped supplementary raised beds for each of our divisions
- Each division selects their own special project.
- Examples: Butterfly Garden, Native Plant Garden, Three Sisters Garden
~ An outdoor garden shed with portable classroom, consisting of class sets of:
- foldable stools
- clipboards
- gardening hand tools such as shovels and weeders
- rainmakers
~ A classroom learning table
~ A fenced perimeter for safety
Educators will be supported in the following ways:
~ Invitation to join garden committee
~ An annotated list of support resources
~ A newsletter of ideas for curricular and special projects for Spring and Fall
~ An opportunity to discuss and plan at division meetings
~ Updates at monthly staff meetings
~ Afterschool voluntary workshops
~ A weekly schedule and time slot for
their class.
The Errol Road Garden will be located…
….at the South end of the school, on the school yard area near the South
parking lot along Indian Road North, with a 30 ‘ by 50 ‘ fenced perimeter,
and have a sign that faces Indian Road North.
Errol Road can count on some help…
~ Alexander MacKenzie Secondary School construction program to
help us build our raised beds
~ St. Clair Secondary School to send co-op students in the summer
months to maintain
~ Northern Collegiate and Vocational School, invitation to students
to help execute classroom table (art project)
We are also working on outside funding help…
Pitch Party
Stoke’s by the Bay
Thursday, May 7
6:30 pm
Application Deadline:
July 15, 2015
Applicant notified:
October, 2015
Some examples of what we need to fund:
~ Cedar lumber for raised beds
~ Fencing
~ Garden Shed and cement pad
~ Garden Sign
~ Classroom table
~ Class sets of: foldable stools, clipboards, hand tools
~ Storage bins
~ Other garden accessories, ex: extending hose
~ Resource library
Here are some added opportunities for students…
~ Generating ideas for their division plot and special project; student
voice!
~ Become a member of the student garden committee. Like a “Green
Club”, this will meet once a month as a school club
~ Participate in design contests, ex: classroom table top, t-shirts
~ Grade 8 students can gain volunteer hours in summer
Here are ways that parents can help…
~ Become a member of the garden committee. Updates will go home in the
school monthly newsletter.
~ Volunteer time/labour as garden components become funded. Ex: help
students fill raised beds with top soil and compost, spread wood chips…
~ Volunteer to help your child’s teacher on their day/time slot in the garden.
More supervision equals more learning in the garden.
~ Donate items to the garden project: seeds, plants, items to assist division
plot idea and special project, gardening books, gift cards to book stores or
nurseries…
~ Share your support, your ideas and your enthusiasm…
And your contact information
The Errol Road Garden Project is just getting on its feet. As the
project pieces develop, we will refer to this list of parent volunteers.
For any questions, please email Mme. Ward at [email protected],
speak to our principal Ms. McLean or your child’s teacher.
How potential funders can help
Please see the following basic budget
Item Description
Details
Price per unit
Quantity
Cost
Lumber for frames (raised plots)
Cedar boards: 2” x 8”
$1.70/ft
X 180 ft
$306.00
Lumber for posts/corners
(raised plots)
Cedar posts: 4” x 4”
$2.75/ft
X 72 ft
$198.00
Lumber for classroom
table base
Pressure treated: 2” x 12”
$2.80/ft
X 24 ft
$67.00
Lumber for classroom table top
OSB (Oriented Strand Board)
7/16” x 4’ x 8 - 32ft2
$7.95/unit
Circle area: 78ft2
X 4 boards
$32.00
Mosaic classroom table top
materials
Weather proof cover, glue, tiles,
silicone to seal
Various
na
$150.00
(estimate)
Fence entrance moved
Current (Indian Rd. N.) entrance
needs to be moved up approx. 30
ft.
Quote from B. O’Neil
1
$500.00
Fence perimeter of garden
30’ x 50’ x 50’ + new entrance
Quote: B. O’Neil, $20/ft
130 ft
$260.00
Garden Storage Shed
Approx. 8’ x 10’
(Home Depot quote) $700
LKDSB source?
1
$700.00
Cement Pad
Approx. 12’ x 15’
Quote: B. O’Neil, $1500
1
$1500.00
Garden Sign – Facing Indian Rd.
North, “Errol Road Garden
Project, LKDSB”
Make our own?
Outsource professionally
3’ x 4’ sign, 4’ up, visible
1
$200.00
(estimate)
Storable/portable classroom
seating
Foldable lightweight stools
Brand: Naturehike (Amazon.ca)
$16.00
30
$480.00
Storage bins
Large tote tupperwares
$15.00
4
$60.00
Garden learning tools
Clipboards, hand shovels, weeders
$2.00
30 of each
$180.00
Extendable hose with nozzle
75 expandable (Home Depot)
$60.00
1
$60.00
TOTAL:
$4693.00
Other considerations…
~ Materials such as top soil, compost and mulch may be provided at no cost from LKDSB
~ Each division will need a small budget to purchase seeds, plants or other items for their curricular
and special project plots
~ Donations can come from many places: parent community, business community, and organizations
such as Return the Landscape, for example: Native Plants
~ Building both a resource library and professional development around the garden project is ideal
~ The Garden Project will need to be sustained over time. School fundraising can likely cover the
year to year cost.
~ Research demonstrates that a garden project will be successful over a period of time if all pillars of
the community work together: students, teachers, parents, administration and outside community
support. This is achievable!
Some excellent resources for
teachers, parents and administration
Thank you very much for your attendance!