We are off to a great start across all grade levels! In addition to being introduced to the Crestview garden areas and expectations. Kindergarten through third grade CREST classes focused on a project to display for Back to School Night. Inspired by the picture book, Does Earth Feel?, by Marc Majewski, the children created "wishes" for the Earth to be displayed in classroom windows. This highly recommended book follows the planet’s relationship with humans and engages with themes around empathy and environmentalism. It's a fantastic book to spark conversations!
All of the students were also reunited with their nature journals from the previous year. Younger students love this time to sit outside and draw something they see in the garden. Fourth Grade Environmental Science completed nature challenges that required looking closer than usual at an insect or plant and then recording important notes about the scene (size, temperature, location, and date). They also embarked on soil testing the Crestview garden. We will be analyzing the kind of soil we have and then figuring out what amendments we may need to add to make it more productive. This year, fifth grade Environmental Science will largely be in charge of the Crestview gardens. They worked diligently this week mixing and spreading new soil and planting carrots and brussel sprouts. Sixth grade Environmental Science just started exploring direct and indirect "water footprints." A perfect intro before heading to CELP!