Our primary school has a school council. Two children from each class, from four year olds through to 11 year olds are voted for by their classmates to be on the council. These children have meetings with the head and teachers and take forward ideas which the children would like to see happen in school. It can be anything from extra equipment to be used at playtimes, right through to what they would like to see on the dinner menu.
As well as the children putting forward ideas, the teachers also put forward ideas for the children to take back to their classes to discuss.
This year, my nine year old daughter is on the school council, and the teachers have come up with an idea of growing some of their own veg. To promote this idea, the children on the school council have been invited to go on four trips throughout the year to a local organic farm, who specialise in educating children in the benefits of locally grown organic veg.
My daughter went on her first trip a couple of weeks ago. It was when the high winds were here, so I sent her wrapped up warm in jogging bottoms and wellies, having being told beforehand that they would be outside all afternoon. My daughter came home so full of enthusiasm. They had let the group plant various veg, and they will moniter the growth over the coming trips.
Obviously, my daughter sees and helps with whatever I plant, so it's not all new to her. I just think that it's a shame that not all the children in school can take part in this trip.
On the up side, the school council are going back to school and telling all the children what they have done, and they are going to take their new found knowledge and start their own organic veg patch. I wish that other parents would follow suit, as although my daughter will eat whatever I put in front of her, my 13 year old son is such a fussy eater, but when I started growing veg last year, he has had a go at most things, in fact, tomatoes were a real no go, but he ended up picking them off the vine and popping them straight into his mouth ;D I really do feel that growing your own, for a whole host of reasons, is the way to go.
Jo.
Last year I asked our local school about teaching the kids about growing veg on some unused land they have, I offered my time, seeds and tools for free and the reply was "that sort of thing doesn't matter these days"
Well done.
Tell'em they are missing out on funding then, there is a big thrust on growing stuff in schools right now..they should know better.
XX Jeannine
Quote from: Jeannine on March 24, 2008, 22:08:25
Tell'em they are missing out on funding then, there is a big thrust on growing stuff in schools right now..they should know better.
XX Jeannine
Hi Jeannine,
Can you give me some information or links on funding? I don't know if our school is aware of this.
Many thanks,
Jo.
I will try, ours is being done by the Rotary because of the floods but there are schemes out there, try teachernet I think you will find the links there.Good Luck.
Sometimes there are freebies for schools, we got spuds from the potato council and propagaters full of tomatoes through a scheme with B&Q.
Check on teachernet or google school gardening and I think you will find them
I have stuff in my office at school but won't be back for a while
XX Jeannine
Thanks very much Jeannine. I'll have a look at that site.
Hope you school project is going well ;D
Jo.