Let Nature Be Your Teacher

School:: Seacrest Country Day School - Lower School
Subject:: Science
Teacher:: Angela Burchett
: Cindy Sirois
Students Impacted:: 80
Grade:: Pre K - 5
Date:: August 21, 2021

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Jackson and Bella - $296.90

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 80

The Kindergarten Garden has become a wonderful extension of the Kindergarten classrooms, as well as a space for all of the Seacrest Lower School to enjoy. The children love exploring the garden during their morning recess. Whether driving the trucks and construction on newly built "roads," digging with garden tools, or creating beautiful chalk artwork, the Kindergarten children are very happy in this outdoor space. Additionally, the Kindergarten children care for the worms in the worm bin and are competent gardeners of sunflowers and marigolds. In conjunction with a scientific study on the needs of living things and plant and animal habitats, the Kindergarten children related this new learning to the various plants, insects, birds, and animals who find their habitat needs as visitors in our very special garden space.

The generous grant funds to purchase gardening supplies and tools, as well as wonderful outdoor toys, and a garden storage bench to house all of these items, have provided the Kindergarten children of Seacrest Country Day School with a wonderful and much loved outdoor learning space. We are grateful to the McGowan Family!

grant photo

Original Grant Overview

Goal

This grant request is for garden tools and toys to enhance outdoor play, along with a storage bench to house all items.

What will be done with my students

In the lovely poem entitled The Tables Turned, William Wordsworth wrote these words: "Come forth into the light of things; Let Nature be your teacher." The teachers at Seacrest Country Day School value Nature as an important teaching partner in the education of children. Therefore, each day, the children spend time exploring in the Seacrest garden with "Nature as their teacher." Planting garden boxes, maintaining a worm bin, collecting rocks, leaves, seedpods, etc, along with feeding birds, chasing butterflies, and digging in the dirt are wonderful experiences in which the children participate daily.

Benefits to my students

Research indicates a plethora of benefits for children who spend time engaged in outdoor play. Nature teaches children to:

*Investigate science and the scientific process
*Take responsibility as caretakers of plants and animals through gardening and composting with a worm bin
*Create social and collaborative relationships through teamwork with peers
*Use time outdoors to improve physical and mental well-being
*Take appropriate risks while exploring outdoors
*Develop an understanding of good earth stewardship
*Make "real world" connections

In short, Nature truly is an incredible teacher!

Budget Narrative

The grant request is for a variety of garden tools and toys, along with a storage bench to house all items. All items will be purchased through Seacrest's Amazon Prime Account; therefore, the purchases will be tax-exempt.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Keter Solana 70 Gallon Storage Bench	$169.99
2	Garden Tool Set, 3 Pack Garden Hand Shovels (2 sets)	$33.98
3	4-Piece Set 8" Kids Gardening Tools (2 sets)	$19.98
4	2 Pack Collapsible Plastic Bucket with 2.6 Gallon	$22.99
5	Foldable Bucket Collapsible Kids - Collapsible Bucket (2)	$23.98
6	Cat Construction 7" Dump Truck, Loader & Excavator toys Combo Pack	$14.99
7	TOMY John Deere Sandbox Vehicle (2 Pack) Roll over image to zoom in TOMY John Deere Sandbox Vehicle (2 Pack)	$10.99
	Total:	$296.90

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