3 Sep
“What does a school garden do over the summer?” It’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked. The answer, in short, is, “We never stop.” Because our school runs a six-week literacy bridge program over the summer, the garden is geared toward those students and their families. Here’s what happened in our garden this [...]
22 Mar
How can you get your garden-planning process off the ground? How should teachers roll out lessons in the garden, or cooking classes in a school? Why is all this growing-your-own-food stuff so important, anyway? Over the past month, our school took part in three big events that attempted to answer these questions. This year, especially, [...]
4 Jan
We were lucky to have Duke student Morgan Carney with us last semester. Morgan did a photojournalism project (http://wondersofwatts.com/grow-watts-grow/) on our school’s garden-and-cooking project for a class she takes at Duke University. Her professor, Susie Post Rust, is a George Watts parent. The end result speaks for itself.
2 Jan
Ingredients: 8 ounces of chickpeas 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 lemon 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 2 carrots, grated or sliced thin 3 pita pockets 6 lettuce leaves Directions: 1. Add the chickpeas and garlic to a blender. Blend [...]
2 Jan
Ingredients: 1 cup canned sweet corn 3/4 cup canned black beans 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup grated feta cheese 2 tablespoons green or red pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon red onion 1 whole avocado 2 tablespoons cilantro, shredded into small pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice 1/8 teaspoons minced garlic 1/8 teaspoon salt Directions: [...]
2 Jan
A friend told me this weekend that he planned to cook more kale for his family this year, since kale is a “superfood.” You might not think kids would like a raw kale salad, but the Upper El students who made this dish in cooking class surprised even themselves. The recipe calls for either ricotta [...]
2 Jan
Two things to keep in mind for the new year: First, as food guru Mark Bittman says, Eat more plants. Second, as our school nutritionist says, try to vary the protein you eat. Here’s one great recipe that deliciously accomplishes both. My older daughter was among the students who begged for seconds, when her classroom [...]
We were lucky to have Duke student Morgan Carney with us last semester. Morgan did a photojournalism project (http://wondersofwatts.com/grow-watts-grow/) on our school’s garden-and-cooking project for a class she takes at Duke University. Her professor, Susie Post Rust, is a George Watts parent. The end result speaks for itself.
Two-bean kale soup. Brussels sprouts with caramelized shallots. Sweet potatoes with cinnamon pepita seeds. Gingerbread with skillet apples. That’s what was on the menu for the Harvest Mini-Feast at George Watts Montessori. And pre-K through 5th grade students cooked it ALL.
I remember that when I was in middle school, my Home Ec teacher taught me to change a diaper. She also taught me how to sew an apron using a sewing machine. I’m pretty sure there were no boys in that class. It all sounds so terribly old-fashioned and sexist now, really. But in that class, I also learned how to cook.
This is a story about the amazing ripple effect that a single person can have. Last year, a parent (not me!) of a Primary student in Ms. Baker’s class offered to help out by taking the students outside to the Edible Garden every week. The plan grew: The parent decided she may as well plan a string of lessons for the students to do outside. This is what the garden looked like on one of her volunteer days.
I just created a presentation about the evolution of our school garden at George Watts Montessori. (I can’t wait to tell you why I was doing that, but that will have to wait for another post.) To show what we’ve accomplished, I delved into the 5 biggest ways the garden has contributed to the students’ health and academics.
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