A group of Grade One students walked excitedly outside the front doors of Roslyn Elementary School in Westmount Thursday, looking forward to their next class.
They are heading to Roslyn’s outside learning environment, where the school recently planted a community garden.
“I really love to plant things and I have a lot of fun planting big pumpkins,” said Grade One student, Joseph.
“It makes me really excited that we are going to have a big garden in Roslyn School,” said Beatrice, another student.
Some teachers and administrators have wanted to build an outdoor garden for some time now.
The parents committee helped raise the money needed to start it.
The project got underway in March, when the school received five hydroponic growing machines to be placed in various classrooms in the school.
“We made a very big salad and we invited another class over and we just hosted a party,” said Grade One teacher Nancy Latulipe.
“That is another simple thing we can do that also involves the kids that brings them immense pride and satisfaction.”
As soon as the ground was ready, outdoor gardens were built.
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For the last week, kids from every grade have planted kale, bok choy, squash, strawberries, cucumbers and pumpkins.
The kids go out every day, helping to weed and water the gardens.
“It’s amazing to be able to do those very hands-on things, to get out of the box, to do things differently. It’s great,” Latulipe told Global News.
She said she believes the impact of hands-on learning is profound.
“They are so much more interested and motivated and once we do the part outside, to go back to the classroom to talk about what happened, all of a sudden it’s so much easier to write about something we did,” Latulipe said.
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Volunteers will help tend to the garden throughout the summer.
This fall, Roslyn will give some of the produce to a local food bank.
“There is a social component to all this. The kids are learning about the environment, why it’s important to have green space. There is a lot the kids are getting out of it,” said Roslyn Principal Nick Katalifos.
“Quite frankly, when they go back to class, they are re-energized and they feel good, so it’s a lot easier to get that learning process going.”
The kids say they are excited to see their harvest, come fall.
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