{"id":11078,"date":"2020-12-02T12:55:20","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T20:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11078"},"modified":"2020-12-02T12:55:20","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T20:55:20","slug":"s-y-v-charter-school-grows-green-thumbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=11078","title":{"rendered":"S.Y.V. Charter School Grows Green Thumbs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"S.Y.V.<\/a>

S.Y.V. Charter School Grows Green Thumbs, originally published in Santa Barbara Independent on November 19, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

Irises\u2014and Intellect\u2014Bloom\u00a0When the Garden Is a Classroom<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using the garden as a classroom is certainly a welcome\u00a0adaptation during the days of COVID. But this type\u00a0of outdoor education has been a key curriculum\u00a0component at Santa Ynez Valley Charter School<\/a> since its\u00a0founding in 2000, said Executive Director John Dewey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Last year, the public charter school added a new iris\u00a0garden to the mix, planting more than
\n120 unique irises. Each student in\u00a0grades 3-8 chose and planted\u00a0their own individual breed of\u00a0the flower, complete with\u00a0fun (and legit!) names like\u00a0Rainbow Shadow, Milk\u00a0in My Coffee, and Ice\u00a0Sculpture. Tending these\u00a0flowery plants and their\u00a0showy flowers, students
\nlearn about planting, cultivating,\u00a0harvesting, and composting,\u00a0and teachers are able\u00a0to incorporate lessons about the\u00a0natural world, plant biology, ecology,\u00a0and the environmental impact\u00a0of humans on the planet.<\/p>\n

The Iris Garden is the newest\u00a0feature in an almost three-acre\u00a0garden on the property, which\u00a0is cared for exclusively by students\u00a0and parents. In order\u00a0to plant the irises, the team
\nreclaimed a hillside and the 5th\u00a0graders did the work to terrace\u00a0it, using railroad ties and \u201cother\u00a0bits and bobs,\u201d said Dewey. \u201cWe\u00a0have also logged the names of\u00a0each plant, who planted\u00a0it, as well as a photo of\u00a0their blooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

As students\u00a0start to return to\u00a0school, the new 3rd graders will plant their\u00a0irises, and so will all the staff members \u2014\u00a0they might even \u201cdig down\u201d to 2nd graders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty exciting for the kids,\u201d said\u00a0Dewey. \u201cThey have ownership of it, and\u00a0they get so excited when their iris blooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also in the works for this school year are\u00a0a series of grade-level gardens, which the students\u00a0take care of and choose the themes for. The\u00a0first gardens had a native plant theme and a butterfly\u00a0garden focus, with flowering plants that attract insects
\nand butterflies.<\/p>\n

Santa Ynez Valley Charter School also recently became\u00a0an Ocean Guardian School<\/a>, a program sponsored by\u00a0NOAA<\/a> for schools to do projects that foster the protection\u00a0of watersheds and the ocean. They are using the funds\u00a0to separate food waste from trash and turn it into compost\u00a0for the gardens.<\/p>\n

\"SB<\/a>

SB Independent Cover, Schools of Thought, November 19, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em><\/a> on November 19, 2020. To read the section as it appeared in print, please click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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