By Marisa Iati, Staff Writer
PLAINSBORO — An initiative to teach Wicoff Elementary School students about science while instilling in them a love of nature came to fruition recently when a team of teachers and volunteers created a garden at the school.
Wicoff hosted a grand opening ceremony at which students read poems they have written about the garden, which is called “Stepping Stones,” said Lizbeth Reil, one of the teachers in charge of the project.
Ms. Reil said the project planners hope all grades in the school will use the garden to enhance their science curriculums.
”We make science work in the classroom, and we wanted to make sure we had some way of seeing science outside the classroom as well,” she said, adding that, “a lot of hands-on discovery hopefully will happen out here.”
Teachers Melissa Collins and Gerald Pinner also helped orchestrate the project. A grant from the West-Windsor Plainsboro Education Foundation and student fundraisers provided the funds.
“‘’”“‘’”Wicoff teachers and students, local middle school students, the High School North National Honor Society and others began to shape the garden in May 2010, said Ms. Reil. The garden is approximately 22 feet by 84 feet and currently includes a pond, birdhouse area, birdfeeder, fountain, two benches and flowers.
”It was a group effort, and a lot of people donated items to the garden, which was really nice,” said Ms. Reil.
“’’”“It’s sort of like a mini outdoor classroom. It’s really to connect science to the world and broaden students’ experience,” she said
In the garden, students will observe rocks, soil, weather, plants, insects, birds and different states of matter, according to a Wicoff press release.
Ms. Reil said the pond will be a temporary home for ducks hatched at Millstone River School. The students will be able to observe those ducks in the garden.
“’”“”Mr. Pinner, who teaches second grade, said his class will use the garden to enhance their study of insects.
”One of our science units is the insects unit, and this is the first opportunity we’ll have to take the insects outside and see them in their natural habitat instead of seeing them in test tubes in the classroom,” he said.”’”
The garden also will serve other purposes besides science classes, said Ms. Reil. The school guidance counselor has used the garden as a setting to talk with students that are having a bad day.
“”“’”Ms. Reil added that the garden will be completed in July with the addition of three butterfly bushes, two butterfly houses and four bird houses.
“”“”Mr. Pinner expressed similar positive sentiments about the garden.
”The kids have a real connection to this place,” he said. “They’re the ones that raised money for the birdhouse (and) they’re the ones planting the bulbs every year. That sense of pride is a really cool thing to watch. It’s nice to have a piece of nature right in the middle of the school.”
