Contact: Mary Carbone
Phone: 202 939-8883
E-mail: mcarbone@maret.org
Web Site: http://www.maret.org

This past school year, 2008-2009, Maret students planned, built, and cultivated a community garden on the school’s campus in NW Washington, DC. The idea of Maret’s garden originated with faculty, as lower school science teachers were looking for additional ways to enrich the Kindergarten Backyard and first grade Life Cycles curricula.
Kindergarten curriculum already includes studying earthworms, so in collaboration with upper school students, kindergarteners learned about composting with worms. The goal was to reduce cafeteria waste by allowing worms to decompose organic material. This process generated compost and worm tea to enrich the community garden.
First grade curriculum focuses on life cycles. Students study many different animal and plant life cycles, including apples and lima beans. In the classroom students dissected and germinated lima bean seeds, and planted seedlings that were eventually transplanted into the community garden.
This year the first graders also helped to plan and build the community garden along with faculty, staff, and upper school students. In spring 2009, upper school environmental science club students, first grade science students, faculty, and staff constructed two raised beds and a pumpkin patch. One bed was for vegetables and the other was for an annual/perennial butterfly garden. The students learned about organic/sustainable farming methods, as well as planting open-pollinated heirloom seeds and seedlings allowing for seed-saving for planting in subsequent years. First graders planted and tended plots through the end of the school year while Horizons students, with help from Horizons and Maret faculty and staff, tended plots in June and July.
Maret’s Horizons program, now in its tenth year, provides an exciting summer of academic enrichment including reading, writing, math, science, swimming, music, art (and now gardening) for students from H.D. Cooke and Bancroft elementary schools, Maret’s public/private partners.
When Maret students return in the fall of 2009, the students who originally planted the garden will be in second grade and will tend the plots and harvest seeds for the first graders.
It is our hope that this community garden demonstrates a full year of plant life cycles and related biodiversity. We envision the garden as a place not only to teach science, but also to incorporate social studies, math, art, and other subjects that might be integrated. With sustainability in all aspects of school life at the forefront of Maret’s priorities, creating a community garden is a perfect way to create a confluence of purpose.

Number of Kids Involved: 52
Square Feet of Gardens: 0

Grades Involved:

• K - 4

We are interested in being E-Mail Pals and would like to exchange:
Would love to exchange heirloom seeds and lesson plans for K-2. Also suggestions for children's stories with garden-related themes welcomed.

Gardening Contexts/Emphases:

• Outdoor, Vegetables
• Outdoor, Flowers
• Butterflies
• Vermiculture (worms)

Level of Student Participation (hours/week/child): 1-2

Number of Participating Teachers: 6

Number of Participating Parents / Volunteers: 0

Number of Parent / Volunteer Participation (hours/week/person): 1-2

Funding Sources:

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