Dear Teachers and Staff,
As I am sure many of you know we have a beautiful Learning Garden that we will be using to
help us teach our students about where their food (real, healthy food) comes from. The garden
will help give students a stronger connection to the environment, their health, the joy of eating
the freshest fruits and vegetables, and a hands on and direct engagement with many concepts
we are already teaching in our classes.
We are requesting that you sign up to bring a class out to the garden at least once a week to
help keep the garden watered. Please use the Garden Schedule document we have shared on
Google Drive, or contact a member of the garden team to sign up for a weekly time slot.
Some of the garden has been planted and we’re continuing to plant throughout the season. The
young seedlings and newly planted seeds require daily watering to ensure that they grow
quickly and thrive. If you are able, please use the garden as an outdoor classroom or science
lab or a peaceful place to read or journal. As students spend more time in our garden they will
become more familiar with the garden and develop a sense of ownership of their garden.
Attached is a short guide on how to water the garden beds. The small seeds and plants need
very slow and very gentle watering to keep them from being washed away. The attached guide
from our garden partner The Kitchen Community will help you guide your students to water
carefully. Alternatively you can use spray bottles to mist the soil.
Thank you and please direct any questions to ____________ or any member of the Garden
Team.
Watering with Students: “Little Rainclouds”
“The Little Raincloud” technique is an effective and instructive way to water with students. Students will
learn the proper way to water seeds and seedlings and teachers are provided the opportunity to discuss
plant care and the water cycle in a manageable and hands on way with the whole class.
Materials:
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Several large containers or buckets
5-10 reusable containers (i.e. plastic cups or clean milk cartons)
Technique:
Hold a cup of water in one hand. Place the other hand palm facing up with fingers loosely cupped about
6-8 inches above the surface of the garden. Pour the cup of water slowly into the palm of the other hand,
letting the water gently drizzle through the fingers onto the soil similar to rain drops. Move hands together
back and forth over the garden to direct water to the dry soil.
Activity:
Fill containers with water and position them around the garden. Have students gather around a garden bed
and demonstrate the technique. Ask students to line up behind the buckets and hand out cups to the first
few students in line. Have students fill the cup with water from the bucket and move to a spot in the
garden that needs water. Instruct them to water the seeds and seedlings gently, "like a little rain cloud
floating above the garden." Remind them to avoid disrupting seeds by splashing or creating puddles.