Agnes Gray Pre-K Rookie Gardeners

At A Glance

Contact: 

Dawn Grondin

Location: 

West Paris, Maine

Primary Issue Area:

  • Food

Active since:

2023

Our Purpose

Our purpose is to establish a viable garden system that provides exceptional learning opportunities for our prek students. Ideally, creating this space with our students will establish a safe place to integrate play, social emotional development, healthy choices, and leadership skills while participating in group activities. Our students often ask "what is that?" and point outside our large classroom windows. "That" is an overgrown and undernurtured plot of land where a flower bed once thrived. We have dreams of creating something larger, something more beautiful, and something universally designed for everyone. This garden will be specifically designed to reach all five of the typical sense and provide options for vestibular movement. Studies show that children learn best engaged in play outside in the natural environment using their bodies to see, listen, taste, smell, and touch. Many local resources are readily available to support us through developing and preparing the garden plot, starting and transplanting seeds, nurturing and watering for maintenance, and harvesting for supplemental snacks during our school day. Our curriculum units include: Family, Friends, Wind and Water, Colors, Shadows and Reflections, and How Things Grow. Additionally, we will research ways to add ornaments that attract helpful bugs, critters, birds, and butterflies for environmental inclusion.