Every week our students from Pre Nursery to Year 4 enjoy a gardening session with Miguel, our gardener. This week they have been looking for snails which they loved finding and putting in the bucket. Some of them said the snails felt slimy but most of them did not mind holding them on their hands! As you can see from the photos the crops this week were mostly peppers. The children also tasted these...some liked them more than others.
We are lucky at school to have so much outdoor space and our youngest members of the school community often spend a large part of their day enjoying the fresh air. Children are naturally fascinated by nature and love to spend time looking for bugs and insects.
Research shows that digging in the dirt is a great developmental experience for children. It gives them the chance to explore new sights, textures, smells and tastes. The physical activity of digging and planting works wonders for motor skills.
Ultimately gardening teaches children to take care of the earth and respect their environment. We hope that as they progress through the school they will be inspired to join our Eco Committee which is working hard this year to organise our very first Eco Winter fair.