By Tate Papworth
Pupils at Furlong Park School for Deaf Children have been rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty with growing enthusiasm.
The school recently received a $1000 Woolworths junior landcare grant and has put it to good use, establishing a vegie patch and worm farm.
Early education co-ordinator Mel Walsh said it was great to see the children cultivate their green thumbs.
“We wanted the kids to be able to walk out into the yard and pluck something from the garden and use it in the kitchen,” she said. “We’re going to start a winter vegetable garden with lots of leafy greens, beans, lettuce and some carrots – maybe even some herbs.”
But it is the school’s newest wriggly friends that have stolen the show.
“The worm farm has been a big hit,”
Ms Walsh said.
“The kids absolutely love it. They’re fascinated by pulling the blanket back and watching the worms wriggle underneath it.”
She said there had been additional benefits to the vegie venture.
“The kids come out to the vegie patch and sign, ‘worm’ … trying to tell me that the worms are underneath the vegies.
“It’s not just about vegetables and exploring the garden – it’s also about learning about language.”
The new additions complement recent initiatives at the school.
It won a $5000 Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden grant last year and started a chicken coop and compost system, paving the way for the vegie garden and worm farm.
