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=  Welcome to the TCS Childrens' Garden Classroom! = = =

The Country School Childrens' Garden Classroom will provide opportunities for hands-on experiential education, quiet reflection, and collaborative learning for children and adults alike. The result of a generous gift, the garden will provide real life, and real time, opportunities to teach about sustainability and ecology accommodating different learning styles and new ways to present our curriculum.

Please check Current News and Upcoming Events pages for the latest in garden happenings!

Despite the wonderful location of The Country School at the edge of woodland, and the emphasis on outdoor education, there had never been a dedicated space for the children to garden and grow their own plants. Many of the faculty are keen gardeners and had involved the children in helping to care for the flower borders around the school buildings. Over the last few years we had been gradually replanting these borders with the generous support of the Griswold family and several anonymous donors. Leading this was Lucy Van Liew, a parent, British native and garden designer. The idea of a dedicated childrens' garden grew and in the summer of 2008 a proposal was presented to create a Garden Classroom to the board.
 * History of the garden classroom**

A very generous anonymous donation had been made to the school to support the outdoor education program and part of this had been identified to fund a Ropes Course. It was decided that part of the balance should provide the funding for the Garden Classroom, as the garden came to be called.

It was a collaborative project from the start led by Lucy Van Liew who designed and has been project managing the creation of the garden. First there was discussion about the purpose of the garden classroom which including teaching, both directly about plants, and indirectly linking the garden to all aspects of the curriculum, an opportunity to grow fruit and vegaetables to donate to local food kitchens or to eat at school, a retreat for the hurried child, a quiet reading corner (the garden is next to the library), a gathering space for discussions and celebration, a place to to inspire the childrens' creativity and imagination, and of course an opportunity to get their hands dirty.

It was soon decided that there were certain key elements required to meet these needs which included a greenhouse to extend the growing season- most of the school year takes place in the fall, winter and early spring- fencing to keep the deer out, a shade shelter to provide a retreat from the worst of rain and sun and act as a focal point- a tool shed to store tools, a living willow arbor to provide a retreat.and of course easy to manage growing beds - a combination of raised and ground level beds was decided.

A garden committee was formed which includes members of the faculty, administration and parent volunteers. The committee has been monitoring and managing the progress of the garden including starting numerous seeds in science class ready to plant out on Planting Day May 22nd when the building of the garden is due to be completed. Plants chosen for the garden this year range from annual flowers such as sunflowers and nasturtiums, vegetables such as tomatoes, beans,squash, chilies and peppers, pumpkins, melons and gourds and perennial climbers such as honeysuckle, roses and clematis and a grape vine. Two apples trees will be planted as part of the world wide Biodiversity day and a herb garden is also part of the plan.

On May 4, 2009 ground was officially broken on the Childrens' Garden Classroom.



Please go to **Photo History** to view the progress of the TCS Children's Garden Classroom. .