Green Team Update:
The Fundraising Committee gave a big jump start to the design process for the grounds when Judy Hurst (Fundraising Chair) offered to assist the Green Team in writing a grant. The Green Team had collected great input to date with the staff design workshop, parents input through a design table at the Roden Fun Fair and through a Green Team design workshop held with parents from both schools last June.
Judy worked with Mary Lemke and Ruthanne Henry from the Green Team on compiling all the required grant documents, (a description of improvements, associated budget and work plan, details and concept plan for improvements, letters of support and media releases related to both schools).
The write up and the process was a great experience for all those involved as it highlighted so nicely the strengths of both schools, and how exciting this collaborative project will be. The grant request is for approximately 20K. These funds are to be used to initiate a first phase of improvements that can be started quite quickly (within one fiscal year). The improvements proposed directly connect with the Green Team theme established earlier this year of “G.E.M.S.” (GREENING with planting, Advocating ECO-LITERACY, Creating student MURALS, and enhancing SEATING). Below are the highlights:
Murals and garden bed replanting to beautify both school entrances. Both garden beds are proposed to be planted for curriculum and learning opportunities related to “attracting pollinators”. Murals are to be student driven and a great muralist within our community, Monica Wickeler (Roden parent) has offered her in-kind services to support this effort for both schools. Equinox teacher Tamara Brodey has mural experience and is also keen to help.
Stone seating areas for outdoor lessons, available and accessible to all students from both schools, one of these is proposed around what will later be planned by senior students to be a ‘habitat’ garden of native trees, shrubs and perennials.
Raised beds for gardening edibles, one for each school to allocate for curriculum connections to grades as they appropriate. Associated with this are storage containers, also one allocated for each school for gloves, pots, garden implements, etc. Hoses and tools as well as storage containers and wood, labour etc. associated with the raised beds was included in the budget. Bryce Miranda, a Landscape Architect and Roden parent helped with a great construction detail for the beds.
TDSB Grounds staff, Teresa and Marc, teachers, students and parents from both schools have collectively contributed skills and experience to support the application. This initiative is also an Eco-School pillar (Vibrant School Grounds) and the one the Green Team is focusing on for maintaining our SILVER status and going for GOLD. Let’s hope for success.
Please contact Bonnie, our wonderfully enthusiastic Green Team Leader if you want more information. Bonnie and the Green Team are always looking for other members for the Green Team, so get involved in the process and help shape the continued evolution of the Grounds Plan. This is for the kids and the community of both schools and it is so exciting, we hope you can help!
Bonnie’s contact: 416-778-0439 Famgaztam@gmail.com
Details of our recently submitted grant proposal.