Well what an exciting term it has been with the Receptions, Year 1 and Year 2 classes participating in the kitchen garden program!!

Students enthusiastically embraced garden activities such as garden detectives, seed saving, recycling, propagating winter seeds, watering, garden art and harvesting fresh garden produce for our cooking lessons.

Thank you to the wonderful volunteers that assisted our mini master chef’s cook up a storm in the kitchen. Students followed procedures, prepared and tasted a variety of recipes using our own freshly grown garden produce. Students also set tables, washed and dried dishes and learnt all about using beautiful restaurant manners in our Pimpala Dining room.

Term 2 Menu:

• English Muffin Pizzas
• Roasted Pumpkin Dip, Herb, Cheese and Onion Twists, Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes/Rainbow Fruit Skewers
• Silver beet Dip, Pasta with a no cook pasta sauce and Apple and Cinnamon Popcorn.

Lunch Time Garden Club has been a very popular program with students again this term.  Tasks such as mulching, weeding, watering, seed propagating, seed saving, artwork and composting are available for students to help out with under the supervision of myself and Ms Kaye. If students don’t want to participate in garden activities they are welcome to bring a friend or a book and sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful garden.

Thank you to some of our wonderful families this term who kindly donated apples, lemons, limes, packets of seeds as well as some organic liquid fertiliser. These donations are very much appreciated.

Last term our garden was broken into. The fence and shed doors were cut and any items of value were stolen. It was very upsetting, disheartening and frustrating for not only myself but also for students and staff.  Thankfully we are very lucky enough to have such a wonderful school community. We have had some lovely offers of help and offers to replace some of the stolen items. Bunnings Noarlunga have been kind enough to donate a ladder and a wheel barrow full of goods. They were alerted to our plight from one of our lovely parents who is a Bunnings employee. Thank you to everyone for your support and responses. With the help of Bunnings we are slowly replacing all of the items that were stolen.

Term 3 will see the Year 4/5 classes participate in the kitchen garden program. If you have completed the RAN-EC Training for volunteers and have a current DCSI clearance to work with children we would love your help! Please ring or message me of your availability.

If you would like to obtain a DCSI clearance to work with children please see the Front Office staff. The Department for Education is now offering online RAN-EC training for volunteers, please see the Department for Education website for the link or speak to the Front Office staff for more information.

Michele Smith

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program Coordinator

Volunteer Mobile 0408637850