Vision

As we stand and look out at each corner of Innisfil Central P.S., we see farmer’s fields. Our Kindergarten class has observed many changes in the fields, starting in September with the plants growing, then harvesting in the Fall, and now tilling and replanting in the Spring. In the early Spring, we began talking about the bees needing flowers to pollinate for the foods we plant to grow. With the LSF Grant, we decided to transform our front school gardens into pollinating gardens. With three gardens, we hope to assist the farms that surround our school and learn about the necessity of pollination at an early age.

Action

Our Kindergarten class created three pollinating gardens to help support the bees and butterflies in our area. Our school is surrounded by farmers’ fields, and our class learned about the pollination process and then planted a garden that provides blooms for the bees and butterflies throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. This process started last fall, when we tagged Monarch Butterflies through Monarch Watch (which was purchased with our previous LSF Grant). We learned about the Monarch Butterfly and we were able to release 5 tagged butterflies in hopes to follow them to Mexico. This sparked our interest in butterflies and then changed to bees this Spring. Our class has learned about the growing process, different types of seeds and the life cycle of a plant. Our growing inquiry sparked many questions about food, pollination and ended with getting our hands dirty and plant. In April, we observed the garden without snow and started to examine the plants that were already there. In May, we added soil, planted our perrenials and watered the garden. Once the frost was done, we planted annuals (marigolds and petunias) in the garden to give more blooms for the awakening bees and butterflies. Once all of the plants were in the ground, we used cedar mulch to protect the roots and keep the moisture in the ground. We added more annuals for blooms as we await our perennials to grow and bloom. With more research, we have added Lillies, Dianthus and Bee Balm to our collection of bee and butterfly perennial flowers. We continue to water the plants and watch them grow! In the fall, we will keep seeds from the annuals in hopes to grow our own and clean up the garden to be ready to help the bees and butterflies the following Spring. This inquiry and grant has given the bees, butterflies and our school gardens that will bloom for years to come!

Reflection & Celebration

Our pollinator and butterfly garden is attracting bees and butterflies already! It not only rejuvenated old gardens, but the school has enjoyed seeing the new flowers start to grow. It has changed the look of the front of the school and mulch has added more colour and pizzazz to the school. We are very happy to have been given this grant and so happy to help the bees and butterflies!