Testimonials from Schools
Principals talk about the Kitchen Garden Program in their school
When children are involved in hands-on learning through digging and picking, or mixing and chopping, or sitting together sharing their own freshly baked pizza, topped with their own tomato sauce, liberally scattered with herbs from the garden, the impact is multi-faceted.I have witnessed it first hand at Collingwood College. The young students have a new connection with the land and a new understanding about what it is to nurture the soil and the seeds planted. They appreciate the concept of living sustainably, show a willingness to experiment with foods and a heightened self-confidence, readily absorb and recall related information and display a wonderful appetite for more.
I believe Kitchen Gardens in schools can positively affect the wellbeing not just of children, but of the land, our communities and potentially the nation.
Frances Laurino, Former Principal, Collingwood College – site of the first Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
During our mid-2007 review process, students surveyed enthusiastically and overwhelmingly indicated that a highlight for their school week was the Kitchen Garden program, both kitchen and garden sessions.
Our student attendance records in the Year 3-6 levels in particular, are well above the State benchmarks, indicating a high performance for the school in the area of Student Engagement. The greatest ‘plus’ for the program, I believe, is the way in which the ‘hands-on’ experiences meet the educational and social needs of our students, especially those with English as a second language. Concrete learning experiences, visually modelled as in the kitchen and garden classes, coupled with the language experiences provided in small working groups with adult mentor-volunteer, provide rich learning opportunities for these students. In fact they can’t avoid practising reading and speaking skills!
The cooperative team-work required right from the start of each kitchen and garden session, is a wonderful motivator for children to get along with each other in a productive way. This is most beneficial for our new arrivals from overseas. They settle in to their classes and social groupings very quickly, gaining a ‘sense of belonging’ which is so important as they commence school-life at Nunawading, and in some cases, in their first Australian school.
In six months we have also witnessed reluctant eaters not only taste new foods but eat a full meal with relish. There is rarely much left over these days.
Glenda Gauntlett, Principal, Nunawading Primary School