Lower School,
Carmel California 831-626-5200
Gardens are places for sharing. I have never seen bullying in a garden. Maybe it's because nature is not into bullying. Maybe it's because children find gardens friendly places. Maybe it's because the songs of birds and the garden breezes keep peaceful thoughts inside of you. One child once told me it's because bullying is "ugly and gardens are happy places."
Tanna Nicely, assistant principal at Dogwood Elementary in Tennessee, is a supporter of her school’s garden and has contributed to the efforts of making it an anti-bullying resource. She writes, "Involving students in a school garden can create unity and promote problem-solving and ownership. The garden requires students to be responsible; the plants’ survival depends on it, so they together to maintain the gardens. Each class selects a theme and the plants that will be grown in their garden. Students are proud of the work they have done and the growth throughout the season. They develop respect for each other as they share this common resource and work ethic."
To complement the efforts in the garden, at the beginning of the school year, Tanna does classroom visits where she discusses the topic of bullying. Students learn the definition of bullying and act out scenarios to determine what is and isn’t bullying. The fourth and fifth grade classes
Involving parents in the school garden is a great strategy for bullying prevention.work with Tanna to develop a bullying promise which is signed by the teacher, students, and parents. In this “contract”, students promise to do everything they can to prevent bullying and to not bully others. Parents sign the form to promise they will support their child by encouraging him/her to respect others. Engaging parents in the school environment is a useful strategy for preventing bullying. Parents are often willing to serve as volunteers in the garden which increases their interactions with the school. Parental involvement increases the opportunities for conversations with youth and the likelihood of the parents being aware when bullying is occurring or when students are in danger of being bullied.
Tanna has seen improvements in the behavior of students who are involved with the garden program. Here is an example of how the garden program has impacted one of her fourth graders. “The other day we planted tomatoes. One student in particular wanted to take on every aspect of planting “his” tomato plant. The pride he exhibited was priceless. He has not had a behavior write up or contract violation since adopting his plant. The other kids in his class helped him water and pulled soil up around the plant without prompting from the teacher or myself. It was such an inspirational moment that was not planned or thought out. We plan to harvest the veggies and have a tasting party with this student’s tomatoes as part of it.”
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All about good food, good cooking, good company, and good health. Roxanne B Sukol MD MS |
Wed. June 19, Thurs. June 20--6 pm-8pm Seven Continental Cooking! |
Chef Ann Cooper of The Lunch Box |
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Take a break, sit in our garden, you’ll understand why it’s magical! – Suzka |
The Gifting Earth is a free online system that enables its members to help each other through gifting and sharing. |
Lower School, |
Green Sugarone Grapes, White Peaches, Green Beans & More
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Carmel Farmers Market |
Read how to make fruit and vegetable gardening more fun and productive. |
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All Saints' Day School |
Want to know more about solutions? Visit www.synearth.net For an excellent paper on community see Dee Hock's paper on community. Dr. Wilken has presented Hock's thoughts in his Community of Minds web site. |
Monterey Bay Farmers Markets |
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Contra Costa Certified Farmers Markets |
Home Furnishings/Art Gallery S/W corner San Carlos & Sixth 831-624-3240 Egret Series by Mary Kay King |
425 Washington Street |
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Carmel , California |
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"The best French Country cuisine around." |
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Sand City of Monterey Bay celebrated their diversity as they opened their community to art, music, dance and great delicious favorites. Hundreds of teachers, students and administrators stopped by the StarChild Science booth and talked about the gap between the food service personnel at the local public schools and the children's kitchen at home. August 24 - 25 - 26 2012 |
831-625-JAMS |
Palumbi Lab |
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Carmel, CA
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