Vision

My vision seems to be centered around fostering a supportive and enriching environment for my students, where they can develop practical skills, enhance their mental health, and build a strong sense of community.

Promoting Mental Health and Well-being: Using activities like gardening and healthy eating to help students relieve stress and improve their mental health.

Encouraging Healthy Habits: Teaching students the benefits of local foods and healthy snacks, fostering lifelong healthy eating habits.

Building Practical Skills: Engaging students in hands-on activities like composting, gardening, and smart shopping to develop practical, real-world skills.

Cultivating a Sense of Community: Encouraging students to work together, support each other, and give back to their community, instilling a sense of responsibility and belonging.

Integrating Educational Goals: Aligning all activities with the curriculum to ensure that students are not only developing personal skills but also meeting educational objectives.

Action

Action Plan
Mental Health and Well-being

Activity: Incorporate gardening and hands-on activities like composting and planting.
Goal: Provide stress relief and improve mental health.
Timeline: Ongoing throughout the school year.
Measurement: Student feedback through surveys and one-on-one discussions.
Encouraging Healthy Habits

Activity: Introduce healthy snacks and meals such as smoothies and wraps.
Goal: Educate students on the benefits of healthy eating and local foods.
Timeline: Weekly healthy snack sessions and cooking classes.
Measurement: Monitor students’ snack choices and overall health awareness.
Building Practical Skills

Activity: Teach students composting with red wigglers and using castings for fertilization, growing plants, vegetables, and trees.
Goal: Develop practical skills in sustainability and gardening.
Timeline: Initiate at the start of the school year and maintain year-round.
Measurement: Track the progress of the garden and student involvement.
Cultivating a Sense of Community

Activity: Organize community service projects and collaborative activities.
Goal: Foster a sense of community and responsibility.
Timeline: Plan monthly community service projects.
Measurement: Assess student participation and feedback.
Integrating Educational Goals

Activity: Align gardening, smart shopping, and healthy eating activities with the curriculum.
Goal: Ensure educational objectives are met while developing personal skills.
Timeline: Integrate activities into lesson plans and weekly schedules.
Measurement: Evaluate student performance and curriculum alignment through assessments and observations.
Specific Steps to Implement the Action Plan
Set Up the Garden

Identify a suitable space for gardening.
Acquire necessary materials (soil, seeds, tools).
Plan and prepare the garden layout with the students.
Organize Healthy Eating Workshops

Schedule weekly sessions focused on making healthy snacks.
Invite nutritionists or local chefs to provide demonstrations.
Create a rotating menu with input from students.
Community Service Projects

Identify community needs and potential projects.
Collaborate with local organizations for support and resources.
Schedule and plan monthly projects, ensuring all students participate.
Curriculum Integration

Align gardening and healthy eating activities with relevant curriculum goals.
Develop lesson plans that incorporate these activities.
Regularly review and adjust plans to ensure they meet educational standards.
Monitoring and Evaluation

Collect student feedback regularly through surveys and discussions.
Monitor the progress of gardening projects and student participation.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make necessary adjustments.

Reflection & Celebration

Regular reflection sessions with all involved, including students, staff and community partners.