The Kindergarten classes at Greenbriar School taught by Mrs. Dana Carlsen, and Miss Julie Powers spent several weeks before the end of the school term participating in the school’s first ever “Kinder-Garden Club.”
The club met after school on Wednesdays & Thursdays.
The students, with the help of their teachers, students, and community volunteers, and Greenbriar School staff member Richard Lale, built the garden beds, filled the beds with soil and compost, planted seeds, flowers, plants, herbs, and built an inside greenhouse.
Over the course of several weeks, the students learned how to care for and maintain the garden while incorporating math and science standards such as making observations, taking measurements, and recording observations to enhance writing skills.
"We started the 'Kinder-Garden' club to give all kindergarten students an opportunity to participate in an after-school activity," Carlsen said.
"Our students worked so hard to make our garden beautiful, and we can't wait to continue our club throughout the years."
The teachers were quick to acknowledge the assistance of the volunteers who helped bring the project to fruition.
“Without the aid of the many parents and student volunteers who gave so freely of their time the project wouldn’t have been the success that it became,” Powers noted.
Powers and Carlsen, while pleased with the educational and temporal success of the activity, believe that the students learned a valuable life lesson through their involvement in the club.
‘We wanted to do something for all students, especially to help with their social and interpersonal skills,” they agreed, "and the Kinder-Garden Club gave them an opportunity to be part of something positive while learning to work with others.”