Lizzie Haddon Garden Still Attracting Attention

State Senator James Beach visited Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School recently to speak with students, faculty, and parent volunteers about the school’s garden, and learning the many ways it is incorporated into the school’s daily curriculum.

The school’s garden extends the classroom outdoors and provides teachers new and innovative ways to offer hands-on learning.

Third-graders planted bee-attracting native berries as part of their science lesson on pollination.  After learning that early world explorers often collected or shared items from their travels, including herbs and spices, the fifth grade classes helped to plant and harvest this season’s herb garden.  They also used their history and geology knowledge to guess the origin of many of the plants.  Kindergarteners learned about beneficial plants and insects, like lady bugs, and then helped the garden by planting marigolds around the beds to help keep away pests.  Mounted signs throughout the garden explain these and other lessons and show various classes at work.