A Peep At the Coops

Mr. Pittillo has had a dream for many years, or should I say decades? He has been the force behind the poultry craze at Stonewall. His enthusiasm with hatching anything from chickens to quail has extended the Stonewall curriculum beyond the extraordinary. Classrooms count down the days until the babies are born and names are heavily debated/voted for catchy names such as Mrs. Fletcher and Ebenezer. Fortunately the chicken coop craze has hit one and many, including Stonewall. Thankfully our past PTA president, Bob Richie had already discovered the chicken craze and introduced us to his neighbor Chere Hickock. Well, the rest is history. Chere Hickock came to visit Stonewall Gardens and knew immediately our interest in nature and the support team available to manage this endeavour. Chere graciously donated an amazing chicken coop to our school and her gift will be remembered years from now by children who will come to understand that eggs do not magically appear in your kitchen's refrigerator. They will become educated about the cycle of life, and the implications of human involvement, and will be able to decide for themselves which route to take as a citizen of this planet. So the chicken coop was planned, built, and completed with the help of many, including Mr. Painter, who suggested that we install a "green" roof to keep the heat down during the summer months. His wisdom is always appreciated. A Peep At the Coops tour was an instant hit. Children at Stonewall were allowed to hold, pet, and talk to our current renters: Mrs. Honey, Rusty, Mrs. Fletcher, Miss Speckles, Brownie, and Ebenezer. To witness the adult, and especially the children's enjoyment, proves that People Love Poultry. The biggest cluck ever goes out to Chere Hickock! Thank you! Stonewall Jackson Elementary, Barbara Uskovich (photos: Sarah Jane Rust & Barbara Uskovich) (Thank you Kate Cromwell for all you do for Stonewall Gardens!) (Thank you to all the volunteers who help our school, especiall those in cute rainboots.)

Mrs. Painter's Vision

It probably never occurred to Mrs. Painter that almost 15 years later her vision would be a unique environmental inspiration to a multitude of Stonewall students, providing students in every classroom of our school with routines outside concrete walls. Her vision has inspired other educators to seek innovative curriculum for their classrooms instead of a traditional homogenized plan.
With the beautiful weather this past week, she decided to conduct lessons outside that would provide her current class with further experiences with plants beyond traditional selections. She has extended her Stonewall area to include a row in the community garden. (Every class is afforded an area in the garden to conduct experiments with vegetables. Plants selected for Stonewall gardens consist of varieties that have proven to produce so that all students will have an opportunity to harvest at least one crop per season.)
So this past week she took her current class out to plant: chard seeds, squash, mild peppers, and tomatoes. Then Manon McCollum reminded us, with great enthusiasm, that they planted one flower and one eggplant too. The class plans to conclude this lesson with zinnia seeds that retain nitrogen in the soil, especially during the hot Texas summers.
Mrs. Painter impressed me the first time I met her when we both arrived at Stonewall together. She taught this old dog many new tricks, including the importance of natural experiences in the classroom. If she can achieve change in one adult, just imagine the imprint that is left on each child fortunate enough to be educated with her wisdom.
Thank you Mrs. Painter!
Old Dog (aka Mrs. U.)
(photos: Barbara Uskovich)

Flower Families and Relatives

For the last week or so the students have been observing the flowers that have started to bloom and are putting them into families based on flower(blossom) structure. Last week we focused on the Legume Family,Fabaceae. They learned that peas,beans,bluebonnets,and hairy vetch all had similar shaped flowers, and indeed were in the fabaceae family. They all were nitrogen fixers, and beneficial for the growth of other plants.
Legumes are hard to pollinate, a bee has to force the flower open to get at the nectar,and this causes the stamens to emerge and deposit pollen on the underside of the bee. We had to be patient to observe this process.
In the weeks to come we will study three other families: the Mint family(Labiatae),the Daisy family (Compositae), and the carrot family (umbeliferae).They all require different pollinators, and are host to many different creatures.

Thanks go out to all the volunteers that showed up for last Saturdays workday. It was really good to see the volunteers from Wilshire Baptist Church out in the garden with us. We really appreciate the effort.
(photos: Barbara Uskovich)
Madisen Haggard, 1st grade, finding good luck with a 7-spotted lady beetle during the garden work day.
Wilshire Baptist workers giving their all during the garden workday.
A pollinator visiting the hairy vetch on a beautiful afternoon.

Mrs. Uskovich's Class Dilemma

Mr. Painter had been advising 1C to harvest their two community rows and ready them for summer plantings. When we went out 2 weeks ago our lettuce, spinach, and beets were covered with lady beetle larva. We did not foresee or understand that when we planted in the fall that our area would become a natural habitat for insects. An important lesson was learned that day. We went back into the classroom to have an ethical debate. We researched the lady beetle cycle length and decided to wait. We returned to our area with the following instructions: define an area with your ruler, transplant any insect activity to our neighbor Carol's area, and mentally keep count of your discoveries. We discovered 14 lady beetle larva and 59 lady beetles, mostly the 7-spotted lady beetle. Then we began the harvest. This area had previously been harvested, yet when we harvested again we had 22 one-gallon zip lock bags!, and we save the lady beetles!!!
(photos: Barbara Uskovich)
(Jaik used my camera to take my photo while raking the community row.)

Natural Alternatives to Outdoor Playing

Exposure to nature during school hours allows children options beyond television and video games. This occurs when their educators allow them to explore alternatives to a regular curriculum. Recently Mrs. Rust and I were invited into the children's perspective of alternative play after school. It included:
-appreciation of nature,
-lack of fear,
-cooperation,
-appreciation/utilization of the their immediate surroundings,
-attention to detail,
-positive stewardship towards the environment,
-exciting new discoveries,
-innocent enjoyment of nature, &
-trusting your teachers because they care & they are fun!!!
(photos: Barbara Uskovich)