Here is the decision notice for our grant application "The Big Green Jumpstart Grant". For a total of 2000 dollars, our school was rewarded the funds to ensure that students could engage in various educational opportunities in our outdoor facilities.
Families have also had the opportunity to benefit as many signed up to take care of their own garden bed in a new program started this year, hosted by me. This grant has been used to maintain our graden so that students and families can enjoy. Whether is be additional tools, wood chips, seeds, or other supplies, the grant has funded many of the programs that take place inside of the garden.
*To keep their privacy, we blacked out the faces of this family* This family just got done planting their initial plants and is ready to see them grow! The families who participated each got their own garden bed, and plant provided by Great Kids Farm. Students who participated in the family gardening activity ranged form grades 1-5.
Students are planting the left over various pollinators and herb plants that parents did not use for their own gardens. Students planted, watered, and cleaned the garden during the 11/22 scheduled activity. As they continue to to tend to their garden, they will take home whatever they are able to grow like the families in our other program.
Here is when I initially sent out the information regarding our Adopt-A-Bed program, which the Big Green Jumpstart grant helped fund. A total of 8 families signed up for their own garden beds, and filled out the survey listing the best times for them to stop by and tend to their garden. Families chose between pollinators and herbs to plant with their Arlington students in a new family program this year.
This is the survey that was sent out to families, as well as a Spanish version to support our Spanish speaking families who wanted to participate. Families filled out the form to provide me with information on what they wanted to grow, when they wanted to come and maintain their garden, and to confirm their commitment to the garden's maintenance.
We got a total of 10 families who signed up and followed through on their gardens, growing different plants, herbs, and more. Shown below are some of the students working on their gardens, while families declined to be in most of the photos.
Science Olympiad
Throughout the second half of the school year, I have served as the coach of Arlington's very first science olympiad team. Our team was made up of a total of 15 fifth grade students who were interested in competing, and loved various areas of science. Students met with me nearly every Friday to practice the various events being focused on in the May 14 tournament at Clarksville Elementary/Middle School. As a result, we placed fourth in a total of about seven schools who signed up to participate. Students were ecstatic about this result and overall process, as they laid the ground work for all future Arlington science olympiad teams.
Our students not only trained to compete in the various science olympiad events leading up to our May 14th tournament, they also were required to become knowledgeable in areas like sustainability, pollution, and bettering the environment. While teaching students about the harmful affects of certain activities and what we can do to create a greener, and healthier environment helped our performance at the tournament, it also further students prior knowledge. As a result, students from the team were more involved in other activities around the school that supported a better environment (eg. composting, energy conservation, and cleanups across the school).