School growing space ideas please

[veggiechicken]

Moved you, and stuck you

Its those sticky sleepers again!

[jackyspratty]

Moved you, and stuck you

Cheers me dear!
If we get it its qite a large space and we might be able to plant on proper ground!!
Am meetin again in New Year with Head and an old parent who works at a BTCV project at an environment centre so should get good idea too. Its not definate yet, and we have been here before, but if we get it it could be great and a reasl asset to the school. My main concern is that the garden group will take the lead on it and although we have a lot of volunteers on paper in reality many of them are unavailable to do work in sch time or after school, plus many have no cofnidence in gardening.
I need a space that is cheap, stunning (!) usable for parents staff and children but is also easily maintainable in the long term by a few individuals! It alsoneeds tobe seen as an outside classroom as opposed tto a garrden groouup space.

[jackyspratty]

As paret of the discussion about devising a schol garden, one parent in the group feels we need to "challenge the school culture" in terms of litter, role of caretaker etc. Whilst i agree that these aspects can make any school garend an up hill struggle, Im not sure of our role in challenging at ths stage. What do you think? This came up at the initial set up meetings too and in the end I suggested that those interste coud adress the issues seperate to the group, becuase whilst part of ethos is improving school grounds to cnstantly challenge can have a negative impact on school/group relations.The same parent has raised the same issue again and while I feel they eed to be addressed need to find a positive way of doing this! How does your garden group do this?

[rustylady]

Do you mean by your last post that there is a lot of litter left around, and that the children see it as the role of the caretaker to pick it up? Also, what is the age group of the school?

[jackyspratty]

Good grief just seen my typing above ...apologies!!! Im surprised you could decipher it!

Well I think its a case of people wanting to challenge what they see as a "laid back" approach by the caretaker in that he doesnt pick up rubbish and is seen to do very little to maintain the grounds. And yes there is a lot of litter! Its a primary school.
I think this is an issue which does need to be addressed. Firstly how to stop the litter dropping or at least reduce it. Secondly the role of the caretaker is not one I feel comfortable our garden group addressing. Im concerned that any "challenging will undermine what we have achieved already. I have proposed that the parent looks at developing a litter pick project of some sort to try and address it in a more positive way. Although it is the caretakers job to litter pick I dont feel it changes anything in the long term to just get him to collect it all. Have to tread carefully as we have made a lot of headway and been given a lot of freedom by the school which I dont want us to blow!

[Two_Sheds]

We don't have much litter (primary school) because junk food is banned ~ there's the odd plastic bag at lunchtime, and I do find crisp multibags blowing round the garden now & again. I just pick it up myself. If litter is left, it accumulates even more.

[rustylady]

At our local primary school they have bins "disguised" as penguins and the children are encouraged to put all litter in them.

[jackyspratty]

Just to let you all know that the Bake your Lawn project will be relaunched 23rd January. This is a great project, and we tackled it last year without the lawn but with several laundry baskets and a brick planter in a concrete playground!

[rustylady]

Just to let you all know that the Bake your Lawn project will be relaunched 23rd January. This is a great project, and we tackled it last year without the lawn but with several laundry baskets and a brick planter in a concrete playground!

Sorry, you've lost me

[vicky]

Bake Your Lawn
You grow wheat to make your own bread.
(free seeds, £2 postage charge)
Were you successful last year JS? Did you grow enough to make anything?

[jackyspratty]

Initially the wheat was cut and pulled up by the children. Every morning it was trimmed! BUt then we designed a laminated sign with a picture of what it was and asking the questions
"How high will it grow"
"What colours will it turn"
How can you eat it"

It looked great and made a wonderful noise in the breeze. It also attracted a lot attention from many parents, some of whom had experience of growing wheat in their home countries. So culturally it ticked a lot of buttons for our school. Unfortunately the week before harvesting, someone cut off and removed all the ears of wheat. NOt one left and no bits left at all, so people damage rather than bird or animal!
Luckily an allotment pal who grows his own wheat each year, gave me a box of last years ears, and also on long term loan gave the group a winnow basket and a sone flour mill. We had enough to show the children how flour is made but it was very time consumming and how you would get enough to make bread is another matter!
Its a wonderful projectr to do, especially in an inner city deprived area. We will definately do it again this year. We will be happy if we can make chappatis!

We had to grow in a brick planter in the playground and a few laundry baskets too as we had no land to grow on! All in all worthwhile!
Ill try and post a photo but Im never good at this sort of thing!

[lottie dolly]

Well done to you,hope this year will be a good for you all also,how dishartening for everyone,just to have it nicked,

[jackyspratty]

Free hedging packs

Just a quick note to let you know that BTCV are giving away free hedging packs to schools again with Asda following on from the Christmas card recycling scheme. Schools can register for a pack at BTCV - Asda tree packs until 29th February 2012.



Grab anything free before it runs out!!

[jackyspratty]

HI all
Its compost awareness week 6 - 12 May this year. Any suggestions re composting activities for a primary school. We will be doing the design a poster competition thing but wondered what else you all had planned that I can pinch!!! :0

[di]

Having helped the Head and her hubbie to run our Eco club for ther last two years, she's leaving and I offered to take it on...my name is now down on the Spring newsletter as the Eco club person. Going to be picking your brain big time!.

I think,for Compost week, I might suggest a whole school competition, which class can bring in the most compostable stuff.