Coles Learning Gardens 2013-’14 Newsletter Supported by the Coles PTA “Patience, Planning, and Purpose”

Our Mission Statement: We are committed to creating sustainable, perpetual gardens with the chief intention of aiding the support of grade level curriculum (for example, the third grade class’s study of Native American Indians). Our goal is to enrich student understanding of the natural world by demonstrating the gardening process from seed to table.

In … We added 4 new beds to our existing vegetable garden. Thanks to the efforts of Ellen Wolff, Coles School received a $2,000 grant from Whole Foods, which was instrumental in enabling us to grow our gardens this year. We expanded the number of vegetable beds from 4 to 8, purchased hanging baskets for the Aberdeen fences, created a Fairy Garden for our Pre-K students, and added a cutting garden. Moreover, we purchased additional much-needed supplies.

Students plant and harvest the gardens

Flowers in bloom in the Aberdeen Garden

Pre-K The Pre-K classes planted sunflower seeds, which they planted in the colored tires in the Aberdeen Garden

The students in Kindergarten planted the same vegetables as the Pre-K students in their vegetable garden. They also planted marigolds from seeds that were harvested from the Aberdeen Garden in the fall. The Aberdeen Garden contains a fairy garden for student play, as well as a sensory path. Kindergarten

First Grade The first graders planted lettuce, carrots, green beans, broccoli and radishes, the ingredients for salad in the vegetable garden. This was in preparation for the “salad party” during which the students ate the vegetables they grew and harvested.

Second Grade The students planted a garden with pizza ingredients which featured tomatoes, basil, oregano, and parsley. In the Aberdeen Garden, second graders planted Zinnias and Petunias. They also released the class butterflies in the Aberdeen Garden, as pictured above.

Third Grade The third graders utilized Native American Indian healing traditions in their section of the gardens. The students learned how to plant corn, beans and squash – the “Three Sisters”- in the Iroquois custom. They also learned how Native American Indians use the herbs in a “medicine wheel” for cooking, painting, and making healing potions. The four segments represent spirituality (symbolized by the color white), physical health (yellow), intellect (black), and red (social health). The wheel surrounds a peace pole represented by a fig tree

Fourth Grade The fourth graders planted corn, tomatoes and green beans in the vegetable garden. In the Aberdeen Garden students planted Morning Glories to represent the New Jersey state flower, the violet.

The vegetable garden in its current incarnation

Students show off their final products

The first goal of the Coles Learning Gardens is to provide every Coles student with the opportunity to grow their own flowers and vegetables in order to foster a greater understanding of the beauty and value of nature in the school’s community. Another important goal is spreading the excitement and enthusiasm students have for growing their own vegetables, herbs, and flowers to their parents, friends, and family. Our Goals

We would especially like to thank the following for their help and support in making the Coles Learning Gardens a success: Dr. Evans, Chris Dill, Theresa Ficazzola, Ellen Wolff, Matt Klein and his family, Lisa Devine, the entire PTA Board. Pam Lemansky, Jen Glander, Ken Hernandez, Mrs. Romeo, Mrs. Mele, Mrs. Grecco, Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Cappadoccia, Bob Dow, Angelo Furet, George Aziz, Ted Willmott, Steffi Mancilla from Parker Gardens, Kenny and the staff from The Yard, Brian from Dynamic Landscaping, D. Romeo Landscaping, the Whole Kids foundation – a division of Whole Foods, Cody Lyman Landscaping, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Brian Burns for assembling the newsletter, Shannon Burns for sharing her Gold Award project book, and all the teachers, parents and neighbors of Coles Elementary School.