Come Outdoors With Us

Did you know that research is now connecting lack of outdoor time to numerous childhood ailments?  These include obesity, depression, stress, diabetes, ADD and poor classroom performance.  Our garden is getting involved and joining others' ideas, efforts and movements around the country.   Partnerships are forming.  Major groups are getting involved to help promote the idea of getting families outdoors.  Today's photo comes to us from one such program, Be Out There, by the National Wildlife Federation.  It has been featured by The Daily Green.

The Garden at BCHMCPS is also doing its part for our school community. We are combining physical activity, thinking skills, art, math, science, teamwork, relationship building, problem solving, journal keeping and opportunities all in our edible outdoor classroom.  It is about new attitudes, new lessons and new ways of thinking.  We believe that much more than plants will grow in our garden.

Photo courtesy of The Daily Green/National Wildlife Federation

Enrichment Cluster

BCHMCPS is unique in that it offers enrichment clusters to all of it's students.  From January to March on six consecutive Friday mornings, over 350 student break off into small educational groups for an hour.  This year the school has over 35 different clusters ranging from cake decorating, photography, fire safety, cup stacking and hip-hop dancing to name a few.  For the first time, The Garden at BCHMCPS is also participating in clusters.

We have completed two week. Our cluster consists of 11 very eager students in grades K-3.  During the first week, we learned about seeds and created seed wreaths.  Last week, we learned about composting.  We built our own worm composter by combining worms, soil, newspaper, egg shells, lettuce and various microorganisms.  The students had a fantastic time and so did we.  This worm composter will transition into our garden this Spring.  Tomorrow, we will be learning about growing zones.  We will be planting potatoes utilizing two different techniques and attempt to grow a pineapple.