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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 7, 2011 22:25:33 GMT
There were only 3 children iin the life skills class today and they did pond dipping with Gina and I did some weeding on one of the veg beds.In garden club some did pond dipping and others planted veg in their own plots. Some had some nice lettuces on their plots and they took them home.One girl fed all the tomatoes in the polytunnel.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 14, 2011 21:13:43 GMT
Today in life skills,some children did pond dipping and some bug hunting and they swopped over half way through.
The garden club children went on the allotments which are next to the school.A lady showed them the bees and her chickens,some of which had been hatched at school.We then went on my allotment and I showed them what I was growing and explained my crop rotation which is similar to what we do at school.
This was my last life skills and garden club till September.There is one more week but they won,t be doing any gardening.They are having a party and I am hoping to be at the show at Tatton Park.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 11, 2011 21:07:55 GMT
During the school holidays I am going to school at least once a week to feed the tomatoes ,cucumbers and anything else that needs it .Also to see if anything needs tying up.Today I cut the haulms of the potatoes down as I have done on the allotment.This is to make sure they don,t get blight because they won,t get dug up till September.
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Post by derekbrooks on Sept 15, 2011 22:20:40 GMT
I have been to school this afternoon for the first time after the long holidays (except for going to feed the tomatoes which I have been doing throughout the holidays).The school started back last week but I wasn,t needed till today.The after school gardening club doesn,t start till next week so today there was just the "life skills"gardening class from 2.30 till 3.30.
There were about 8 children but all except 2 had not done gardening before.These children ,as new children always have to do,had to have a health and safety lesson about the use of tools and the danger they could do if used carelessly
Gina who runs the garden club and these classes always introduces me to new children and tells them how knowledgable I am which makes me feel rather embarassed.
With all the vegetables we have grown at school Gina makes hampers to sell to parents for school funds.She had harvested most of the veg during the holidays but hadn,t had time to dig up the potatoes.She took the new children for a tour to show them all the gardens round the playing field so while she was doing this I dug up the potatoes because she wants them to put in the hampers.
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Post by derekbrooks on Sept 22, 2011 21:54:39 GMT
Last Thursday I was told that today there would be the after school garden club as well as the "life skills"class but again it was postponed so there was just the life skills.
Last year another volunteer,a lady called Sally made a dry garden at school ,the idea being to show which plants would grow with little water.She made raised beds with fancy flag paths between them and planted plants including a lot of daffodil bulbs.However,she cant maintain this garden any more .She has not been for for several months and the garden has got overgrown and neglected.Nobody else at school has time to do it either so today we have been dismantling it.The children have been digging up the daffodil bulbs which we will plant somewhere else later.Gina and myself took up the paths and the wood surrounding the beds .The area is going to be levelled out and grassed over.
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Post by derekbrooks on Sept 29, 2011 20:19:20 GMT
There was an after school gardening club today as well as the "life skills"class.Some of the garden club children were new so as usual they had to have the health and safety talk first.
All both classes did though was to carry on dismantling the garden that I told you about last week.
A new teacher called Suzanne wanted to get involved with the garden club so she helped us .
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Post by Cherry on Sept 29, 2011 20:27:46 GMT
The hampers sound like a lovely idea.
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 6, 2011 21:44:20 GMT
The "life skills"class today planted some of the daffodil bulbs that they dug up last week into a border in front of the school.
The garden club children were all given their own small plots to cultivate.If there were any crops already in these plots ,planted by other children who have left ,the new children were allowed to take them home if they wished.Some plots contained lettuces,chard ,and radishes.I forked over their plots for them and they then planted some onion sets.Some onions were also planted in one of the main beds where other crops had been harvested.
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 13, 2011 20:51:43 GMT
 New Anderson shelter at school |
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 13, 2011 20:54:22 GMT
 Inside the Anderson shelter |
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 13, 2011 21:21:34 GMT
An Anderson shelter has recently been built at school.
Most of the children in both the "life skills"class and the garden club today have been spreading woodchip on the area surrounding it as I think you can see in the picture.A load of it has been dumped nearby and the children were shovelling it into wheelbarrows and transfering it to the site and raking it level.
I started helping them at first but then I decided that my time would be better spent doing other things.One boy worked with me and we tidied up the veg plots.We removed all the brassicas that were left and also some spinach (the children took these home with them).In the next plot wre French beans that had finished and broad beans.Took off these that were left and pulled up all the plants.When this boy had gone I worked on my own and forked over and weeded these two beds.I also removed many of the tomato plants in the polytunnel as they had almost finished.Picked off those that were left first.
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 13, 2011 21:27:43 GMT
 This is a box of vegetables that Gina has made from produce we have grown at school.She is taking orders for them and selling them for school funds Sorry the picture is a bit out of focus |
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Post by SueA on Oct 14, 2011 9:45:49 GMT
I love the Anderson shelter, I bet that really brings the idea of living through the war to life for the children, they need a 'Dig for Victory' book or poster in there too!  What a great idea of Gina's to sell those veg. boxes, very enterprising! |
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 20, 2011 20:57:26 GMT
Today some of the "life skills"children carried on barrowing the wood chip like they did last week.They put some on paths that were muddy.Some of them persuaded Gina to let them do pond dipping but they didn,t catch anything as it is too late in the year.
Two boys in the garden club carried on barrowing the wood chip.The others planted some daffodils in pots which they will be allowed to take home next year on mothers day.They also planted some onion sets in pots which will be planted in the garden later.
I didn,t need to help them with any of these jobs so I continued removing the tomato and cucumber plants as they have more or less finished.The sweet pepper and chilli plants are still growing well so I left these.Put some of the compost from the pots and grow bags onto the veg beds and raked it in.Will put some more on next time I go but we have a week off next week for half term.
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Post by derekbrooks on Oct 20, 2011 21:00:16 GMT
 This is a picture I took this afternoon.It is part of a display in the foyer at school |
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