School Garden

WSB’s 3rd Grade Visits a Local Farm

/ michel anderson / 1 Comment

Last week, our 3rd grade class had a wonderful time visiting Calvert’s Gift: Organic Herb & Vegetable Farm in Sparks, Maryland. Students got to pick and taste a large variety of organic vegetables fresh from the earth.
Calvert’s Gift Farm does a CSA and sells some of their produce at farmers’ markets (one is in Towson). Be sure to stop by and say hello to our host, Beckie. As a parting gift the farm gave the class about 15 pounds of fresh radishes and turnips! (Which they are now busy pickling.)
Please enjoy the photos below (some of which were even taken by the students):

Garden Time!

/ michel anderson / 2 Comments

vegetables-large-mdHello! Now that we’re getting close to the beginning of a new school year we would like to host some gardening cleanup sessions. The first one will be held this Wednesday, Aug 13th from 12pm-1:30pm. Our rain date will be the next day, Thursday the 14th (same time). We’ll be doing some general tiding up and prepping the area for the return of the chickens.

The second session will be Wednesday, Aug 20th at the same time. We maybe able to do some honey extraction during that one…we’ll see.

If you’re planning on coming to either please comment or send me a message so I know how many people to expect (manderson at twsb dot org). Feel free to bring a picnic if you like. And please note, childcare will not be officially provided; children will work/play under parental supervision.

See you soon!

Adult Workshop on Indoor Anaerobic Composting 5/27 @ 8:30am

/ Lehcim Nosredna / 2 Comments

Bokashi Composting is a method that allows you to compost indoors, at a rapid pace, with only a small amount of outdoor space. Come to the Waldorf School of Baltimore on Tuesday 5/27 @ 8:30am for a 1 hour workshop that will give you the confidence to tackle this great feat on your own! Your WSB student knows how to do it — now so can you!

One lucky participant will win a WSB Composting System; and twelve participants will be able to purchase a WSB Composting System for $30. Bring a drill if you have one! If interested, please bring a check payable to Waldorf School of Baltimore. All proceeds will benefit WSB’s Green Projects.

Click on the flyer below for more details….Coffee BOKASHI 5-27-14

How to Grow a School Garden

/ michel anderson / Leave a comment

The success of a school garden is largely dependent on whether or not the students feel and know that they were instrumental in creating it . . . and to feel that, every student needs to get their hands dirty. School gardens are about much more than just growing food — they are about connecting children with their ecosystem, cultivating a sense of stewardship, instilling a sense of place, fostering social development and teamwork, promoting a healthy lifestyle . . . the list goes on. New studies are being published almost every day about how school gardens improve academic achievement in ways we are only beginning to understand.

Over the last 3 weeks all of our students have had a hand in helping our garden grow. We’ve been hauling bin after bin of mulch up from the lower lot to the garden, laying down landscaping fabric, and spreading the mulch with shovels. We are about ready to start in on the other side near the Willow Tunnel next week. Then comes the Dyeing Plant Spiral which will be used in conjunction with our Handwork Curriculum. Check out the photos below:

7th Grade
5th Grade
5th Grade
1st Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
3rd Grade

Spring 2014: GREEN SCHOOL & GREEN POWER!!!

/ michel anderson / Leave a comment

Greetings! Spring us upon us and we are busy, busy, busy! Students have been expanding our school garden as well as planting trees and seeds in our new pop-up greenhouse. Our chickens are healthy and happy, and our honeybees are thriving. We will be harvesting wax and honey within the next couple of weeks.

In late April, our school was re-certified as an official Maryland Green School. Be sure to check out our extensive, web-based green school application here: http://waldorfschoolofbaltimore.weebly.com/
As well as this widely circulated press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/05/prweb11824154.htm

Another piece of exciting news . . . . In an effort to remain leaders into a sustainable future, The Waldorf School of Baltimore is now offsetting 100% of our yearly energy consumption with renewable energy! This avoids emitting 475,629 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and advances the U.S. green economy and energy independence. Read all about it here: http://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/news/green-schools-renewable-energy-purchasing-consortium-welcomes-28-charter-members
green_energy_cert_2014Thanks for reading!

 

WSB Green School Community Survey

/ Lehcim Nosredna / 1 Comment

green_school_badgeThe Waldorf School of Baltimore has been an officially recognized Maryland Green School of just about 4 years now. In late March, we will be submitting an updated application to maintain this important certification. Being recognized as a Maryland Green School is very important to us for a number of reasons…. It gives WSB state and national recognition for our green efforts and accomplishments; it communicates to our students and current/prospective parents that our community is serious about our responsibility to a healthy environment and sustainable future; it helps center our collective focus on current ecoliteracy trends in education; and, pragmatically, it even helps us reduce operational costs.
If you are part of the WSB community, please take 3 minutes to fill out a short survey (of nine multiple choice questions). The information you provide will help WSB generate an exemplary application. The survey can be reached by clicking HERE. Thank you for your time!

Introducing the Birthday Egg

/ Lehcim Nosredna / Leave a comment

IMG_0955We are excited to announce that starting in 2014 all of our elementary students will receive a Birthday Egg. On their special day, students will come home with a permission slip for parents to sign and return to school. Then, upon parental approval, the student will receive a fresh egg from one of our lovely hens (Gumball, Richard, or Darwin). Please return the container to school the next day.
Above is a photo of our first student to receive a Birthday Egg. In truth, she was the impetus behind this grand idea — and I was very happy to oblige her. Below is a photo of Gumball enjoying some watermelon — yes, Birthday Eggs taste very, very good.
Along with our students, our chickens have grown so much over the last year. I’ll be posting a little slideshow soon that documents their presence at our school.
Oh… and worry not, if your child was born in the summer, we will make birthday eggs available to them in late spring before school lets out — just let Mr. Anderson know you would like your child to participate. Stay warm.
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WSB becomes a Winter Wonderland

/ Lehcim Nosredna / Leave a comment

Yesterday, our school transformed into a winter wonderland of extraordinary proportions. During recess, our students (and teachers) were able to explore the mesmerizing metamorphosis that occurred during the night before. Some students let melting icicles drip into their mouths from the ice-encased branches, while others slid across thousands of frozen blades of grass.
Please enjoy these photos taken during lunch recess on February 5th, 2014:

Welcome to 2014 at WSB

/ Lehcim Nosredna / Leave a comment

Welcome to 2014! This new year will see some new and exciting developments at WSB. Some of the green projects you’ll see happening (and be able to participate in) around our campus will be rebuilding the earthen oven, an expansion & beautification of our school garden, a new pop-up greenhouse on our terrace, and the building of an herb spiral and a cob structure in the garden. I’m also happy to report that our chickens & bees are doing fine and seem healthy and strong. (Much thanks to the Devecka Family for caring for them over our winter break!)
The Student Council’s TerraCycle project is underway and we already have over 6,000 points to put to good use! Currently up for vote is to help provide fresh water to an African Village or help preserve an acre of US wildlife land. (We’ll be doing both actually — this vote is to set our first goal.) Also, parents & faculty will soon see a surprise gift from the Student Council popping up at events . . . but I’ll leave it’s revelation to them.
With the warmish days, we’ve already gotten started! Below are a couple of photos taken at lunch time this week as dedicated students and I prepare the new flowing edges of our expanded garden. As well as a photo of Children’s Garden parent, Roland Oehme, taken as we were planting some of the trees he donated to our school.
Have a wonderful weekend!