Greetings!
This month's newsletter provides information regarding schools teaching about organic gardening with resource links. Additionally an article on a retiring teacher who left behind the "gift of play" to 4 elementary schools in her district. Finally information on the Right To Recess Campaign and free materialsfor download.
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Local schools are implementing gardens which allow for
hands-on-learning in a variety of educational subjects. School gardens
are a fun way to expand student interest and involvement in their own
education and their own long-term health care.
Local Foods Movement
People who participate
in the "local foods movement" believe in purchasing foods from local
farmers markets, grocery co-operatives, and community supported
agriculture co-ops within a certain distance of their homes. The most
frequently chosen number is within 100 miles. Schools are taking this to
a whole new level by not only purchasing from local farmers but also by
placing a garden onsite that provides food for the cafeterias.
Industry Follows the Money
As in the world at large, school food purchases are often governed by inexpensive and convenient foods winning out over locally grown food. But consider this, "If we put our money into locally grown organic
markets, then prices will drop, and the food industry will be forced to
stop their current ways of altering our food. Healthy food will again be
common place." We will have healthier bodies and in turn healthier minds
for learning.
Resources for School Gardens and Curriculum
There are a variety of
resources online to assist your school in developing and starting an
onsite garden. There are also sample curriculums developed for a variety
of school subjects that can be taught in the gardens.
More on Schools Teaching Organic Gardening.
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Retiring Teacher Leaves Behind the Gift of Play
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Revised from: HometownLife.com By Hugh Gallagher · OBSERVER STAFF WRITER · May 31, 2009
A retiring high school science teacher wanted to leave behind a
gift for four elementary schools in the district. After much searching
it was decided that the Peaceful Playgrounds Program "fit the bill" not
only in cost but need as well. Superintendent Linda Hicks told the
elementary principals to "dream big" and come up with something special.
 And
that they did! "We said what could we get that would be good for all
four schools and it was Mr. (Brian) Galdes at Fisher who came across
the Peaceful Playground, so we started pulling it together," said
Syndee Malek, principal at Vandenberg.
Peaceful Playgrounds provides schools with a kit for making blacktop school yards into productive play areas during recess. The kit contains stencils
for game layouts; rules for dozens of games as traditional as four
square and hopscotch and as new as world geography; all the balls,
hoops, beanbags and other elements to play the games; and even a
conflict resolution guide.
More on the Gift of Play....
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| Right to Recess Campaign |
Free Campaign Toolbox Package
 You can have the Peaceful Playgrounds Right to Recess Campaign Toolbox sent directly to your email box. The campaign toolbox contains a full PowerPoint presentation and speakers notes along with research and documents to support daily, unstructured physical activity during school hours.
Let your community know that children have the Right to Recess!
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