Seed Paper Crackers

On Tuesday Class 1 and Class 2 helped make the crackers for their Christmas party, but these were no ordinary crackers - these were seed paper crackers.

If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s basically a very eco-friendly cracker that uses paper impregnated with seeds that can be replanted in the Spring and left to germinate. It’s a brilliant concept that ties in perfectly with the school’s desire to improve its eco-footprint and encourage the children to become more sustainably aware.

The activity began with the teachers showing the children the seed paper. It was explained to them that instead of just throwing the disused crackers away, this year, they will be replanted on the allotment. The paper is embedded with various flower seeds that are good for butterflies and bees - Chrysanthemum “Golden Ball”, White Gypsophilia “Baby’s Breath”, Snapdragon “Rainbow Mix”, Iberis Umbellata “Candytuft”,  Lobularia “Snowcloth”,  Ageratum “Blue Mink”, Petunia,  Godetia,  Azalea and Dorotheanthus.

The children filled the tubes with a party hat, joke, candy cane and pull snapper…

…with a little bit of jiggling everything seemed to just about fit.

It was lovely to see the children try various different techniques in order to try and keep the innards inside the cracker whilst they wrapped the cardboard tube in the paper. Some methods were more successful than others but it was good to see the principle of trial and error being applied.

Next, the teachers helped the younger ones to wrap the recyclable cardboard tube lengthways in the plantable paper.

The ends were tied securely with festive ribbon…

…and hey presto - one seed paper cracker!

By the end of the session a big bundle of crackers was beginning to pile up, all looking wonderfully festive and hand made. There will be thirty seven in total all bursting with seeds, which come the Spring, the children will plant on the allotment to help attract birds, bees and other wildlife. It was a true lesson in sustainability, a wonderful hands on classroom activity, a bit of festive fun and a fantastic opportunity to engage the children in new ways of thinking about waste, the environment and their sustainable footprint.

The children enjoyed the Christmas party yesterday and it was so lovely to see the seed paper crackers in action. The paper was collected up and is now being stored safely until the Spring, when the children will plant it on the allotment.

Tree Planting Ceremony

The children planted an apple tree at the allotment today to celebrate National Tree Week and to celebrate the fact we have got this wonderful new outdoor learning space.

It was a rather poignant moment because it was the children’s very first visit to the allotment. We weren’t quite sure how it would go but it turned out to be a very positive experience for everyone involved. It was fantastic to see the children working outside in the fresh air together doing something so engaging. One can see instantly how enormously beneficial having this space will be.

It was decided that the apple tree, being the first thing to be planted on the allotment, should go right in the middle of the site. The children worked out the centre by pacing from each of the four corner posts.

Next began the real hard graft of digging the hole. Despite the rather stony soil, all the children had a go, even little Elin, who is our only pupil in Reception. Jumping up and down on the spade proved a remarkably successful technique!

The older children helped the younger ones and there was a real sense of team work as they pulled together to make the hole big enough.

You’ll always find a smile wherever you go at our school. It’s a great reflection on how happy and content the children are.

It wouldn’t be a proper day at the allotment if we didn’t find the odd worm and this one was a whopper! It provided a lovely impromptu chat with the children about the importance of earth worms and the job they do to keep the soil in tip top condition.

Once the hole was dug, the children all took great pleasure in filling it back up again with soil. Many hands make light work and there were plenty of gorgeous, grubby little fingers by the end!

One of the final jobs was to whack a stake in to help brace the tree. The children all had a go with a little bit of parent help to overcome those stubborn stones.

Class 1, along with two representatives from Class 2, all had a super time celebrating National Tree Week and doing their bit to help the trees. We are all looking forward to seeing our tree grow over the coming months and can’t wait to pick our first crop. Oh the fun we’ll have eating, cooking and stewing the delicious fruit.

From The Ground

Our project, ‘From The Ground’ is a whole school initiative founded for the children, created by the parents and supported by the teachers. The sole purpose of the idea is to enrich the children’s learning. The allotment will be a wonderful space, providing a cross curriculum learning platform and opportunities for practical, outdoor lessons.

The allotment lies in the heart of the village of Oakridge Lynch, nestled between Stroud and Cirencester, in the heart of the beautiful Cotswold countryside.

At present the plot is just lumpy grass, but we have big plans! The area is to be segmented into three zones: class 1, class 2 and a family area. The class zones will provide space for curriculum related activities, while the family area will take the form of a more traditional vegetable plot. We also hope to create a teaching area.

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We have recently applied for a Learning Through Landscapes Nature Grant and if successful we will be given £500 to spend on seeds, books, ground cover sheets, kneeling mats, a wildlife camera and a bug hotel. The allotment and the nature grant are just the first steps in obtaining Eco-School status and a Green Flag Award.

Work on the allotment is due to start in January 2019, when we are holding a family day. Some of the turf will be dug over but we are also going to adopt a no dig policy. It’s very important to us to help the children understand the ecology of the plot and with that in mind will look to support our vegetable growing by planting a wildflower meadow and other pollen rich areas to attract lots of birds, bees and insects too.

There will be plenty more news coming from the ground over the next few months so stay tuned for more blog posts, pictures and updates.