BOWEN Public School teacher Kelly Chambers hopes a new vegetable garden at the school will help develop essential skills for the students.
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Ms Chambers was thrilled to learn earlier this week the school was successful in receiving a $3500 grant under the NSW Environmental Trust’s Food Gardens in Schools program.
“It’s great news. The kids will work together to design the garden, prepare it, plant the vegetables, maintain the vegetables, harvest the vegetables and then be able to cook with them once they’re ready,” she said.
“It will teach them a variety of different skills including teamwork but most of all it will teach them responsibility. A lot of the students will see their parents grab vegetables from the shelf in the supermarket but have no idea where they come from.”
Ms Chambers said they planned on growing things such as spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and “whatever will grow and the kids will eat”.
Member for Orange Andrew Gee praised the school for their imitative.
“The project is called Bowen’s Bounty and the final garden will be designed to produce volumes of nutritious food,” he said.
“The garden that keeps on giving is a student welfare worker and teacher driven program. It will be developed and maintained by all school members with assistance from the local community.
“I commend Bowen Public for this initiative, which will assist in developing relationships among the students and the community, create community cohesion and teach responsibility as well as incorporating the design and maintenance into classroom programs.”
Environment Minister Robyn Parker said more than $1.1 million was awarded to schools and researchers in this Environmental Trust funding round.
luke.schuyler@fairfaxmedia.com.au