Twenty Chesterbrook Academy students went outside despite rain on April 22 – Earth Day – to create a community garden.
The kids – between ages 2-and-a half to 4 – were instructed by teachers on properly digging into the soil, putting annual flowers into the ground and watering them.
Principal Kim Cantermen said they will be required to keep the flowers alive.
“It’s their responsibility to take care of the classroom garden every week,” she explained of the students. “So every week, they will come out, they will darn their aprons again and bring their watering cans … And if there are weeds that are growing up or grass, they’re gonna be pulling that.
“So this is very much their responsibility.”
Students will be out twice a week in summer to water. Fresh mulch was recently added to the road verge in front of the school, covering plants already there. The school saw it as a good opportunity for students.
Hailey Shaw, vice principal of Chesterbrook, noted that while students have done similar projects in the past, like planting seedlings for a vegetable garden and growing and releasing butterflies, the new garden is the first time they’ve done something of its scale outdoors.
Shaw added that students will be educated about the environment based on their ages.
“We’ve talked about the importance of Earth Day, and all the things we do to keep our environment safe,” she noted. “But we have to kind of explain that based on their age and their development and what they could really understand. Because we know that the 4-year-olds aren’t going to understand it the same way that our 2-year-olds will.”
Cantermen said there are three connections for students to focus on: nature, school and the wider community.
“With children in nature, the importance are your three connections,” she said. “It’s connecting with nature itself, connecting with themselves and their school community, and then connecting with the greater community as well.”
The children do outdoor activities all year round.
“When Hailey and I came aboard here, we really honed in on that connection with nature piece,” Cantermen pointed out. “The children go outside twice a day. They’re always planting; they’re going to start their vegetable garden, so (there are) lots of great things.
“In the winter months, we have that community connection with (places) like the (Animal Welfare Association),” she added. “We do fundraising for them and we collect items for the animals.”
Students water flowers they planted outside of Chesterbrook Academy on Earth Day. They are responsible for maintaining their gardens.
