Middle School Mindfulness: A Learning Garden for Everyone
My students need gardening supplies, tools, and a starter kit to maintain the learning garden. The singing bowl is to create the mindful space and mindset.
Our school considers itself part of the Jamestown community and encourages all of its students to become active members of the surrounding areas through service learning, school enhancement projects, and interaction with respected members of the surrounding communities.
Our students have a zest for life and thirst for knowledge, as well as a strong sense of community.
When in the classroom, we consider ourselves family. Our classroom, no matter the location, generates a safe environment where everyone feels encouraged to learn. Many of our students are lacking in the activities to experience life outside and have limited knowledge about nature. The classroom instruction is always presented with the idea that we come prepared to learn, we can learn, and it takes the ability to focus on the material to be successful. This is often a challenge for middle schoolers as they live in the moment. We hope that our students leave the classroom feeling well prepared to face the future.
My Project
The learning garden at our school will help to create an engaging outdoor environment where teachers and students can learn about health and well-being while forming a sense of wonder and respect for nature, within a team-building and problem solving atmosphere. The growth starter kits, seed trays, and plants will be used to teach students how to plan and start a garden, and benches will be used to create an outdoor classroom within a pergola. Planters will be placed around the pergola, planted with vines and climbing vegetable plants to enclose the area and make it into an outdoor classroom with the convertible benches that can be used as desks.
The materials used in this project will create an outdoor environment were all students and staff are encouraged to work together to contribute to the 'growth' of our community.
These materials will make a positive difference in our student's learning experience. Students will watch their vegetables and fruits grow, harvest them, then create foods or garnishes (like salad dressing from their herbs), and eat them. Students will use salad dressing ingredients to customize a salad dressing to use on the lettuce, herbs, asparagus and strawberries they have grown to make a salad. This will hopefully allow their culinary interests to grow. By allowing students to see how plants come from seed, watch them start to grow (using grow lights and starter pots) on a daily basis in the classroom, then move them outdoors to plant them, students will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment while learning the growing process. The garden will also serve as a mindful space. A space where students and staff can reflect, experience nature, and decompress from the digital world. These skills are valuable for students now and in the future.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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