Garden Construction

The FES Garden Construction is underway! On Friday, May 17 Falmouth Public Works removed sod, graded the slope area and installed the boulder wall. The following day a group of staff, spouses and parents added raised beds, a terraced sensory garden area, a stone pathway and a pergola/bench.  

Garden Construction Video 

A special thanks to :

• Jay Reynolds and the Public Works Dept. of Falmouth
• Steve Hopkins of MAINEHOUSE Building and Design for donating the lumber and building the raised beds
• Tom Raatikainen for constructing the terraced sensory bed
• Gunnar Hubbard for constructing and designing the pergola/bench
• Jaime Parker of Portland Trails for his guidance in developing the stone pathway and providing hardscape materials 

We look forward to planting and celebrating with our Falmouth families ~ Click the link below for more information on our inaugural garden work day where you can Dig, Plant, move, Eat & Create

Garden day June 1st invite and information

June 1st RSVP

If you have trouble accessing the above links or if you have any questions about how you can be a part of the garden please don't hesitate to contact the garden crew directly at falmouthgarden@gmail.com 

The Town of Falmouth prepared the area for the garden 

The construction crew

                     

April Garden Update

The FES Learning Garden will be constructed in mid-May. We are planning a Garden Kick Off Day on Sat., June 1. On this day parents, students and teachers are welcome to come help us plant the perennial slope. More information will be forthcoming. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the garden, contact us at Falmouthgarden@gmail.com.

Go, Go Grapes!

To promote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables during March Nutrition Month, the 1st graders read "Go, Go Grapes" by April Pulley Sayre.  Enjoy watching this video!

Pennies for Plants - A Success Story

Thanks to the generosity of the students, parents and staff of Falmouth Elementary School we raised $2,950.50.  This money will build a beautiful garden for all of us to enjoy for years.  Check out the pictures of the fundraiser fun below. 

This fantastic event is also featured on the elementary website www.falmouthschools.org/_/index.cfm?sidebar=320&center=319&rightnav=334. 

Keep watching principal's notes for updated garden information.

THANK YOU FALMOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!
The Garden Committee

Nutrition Focus 3/15/2013

Here are two great links to help promote nutrition and wellness at home and beyond! 

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/

http://www.adventuretofitness.com/

Nutrition and the Garden

Dear Families,

March is National Nutrition Month. To promote healthy eating and educational opportunities at school we are establishing a LEARNING GARDEN this spring. One section of the garden has 6 raised beds, which will be “owned” by a class, to be used as a mini-community garden. The produce from these raised beds will be used in the elementary cafeteria. Summer food harvests will be donated to the Falmouth Food Pantry. The slope area will contain perennial plants and shrubs that teachers can incorporate into the science and environmental curriculum.

We are partnering with Falmouth Community Programs to run summer and after school garden camps. A Master Gardener from the Cumberland County program has adopted us and will guide us with plant choices and proper planting times. These two services, along with parent volunteers, will provide us with summer garden maintenance.

Currently we are focusing on fundraising. We are sponsoring a coin fundraiser called “Pennies for Plants” from Mar. 4 – 14. We will be asking families to bring change to school which will help us purchase soil, lumber, boulders, plants, etc. to get our garden started. We welcome any donations from the community as well. Checks can be written to Falmouth Elementary School (FES) and mailed:

To the attention of Sue Raatikainen, Garden Committee

58 Woodville Road,

Falmouth, ME 04105.

Throughout the month we will be promoting the Let’s Go 5-2-10 message and My Plate nutrition information.

5-2-1-0 is an easy to remember healthy lifestyle message that promotes physical activity and healthy eating.

·      5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables

·      2 hours or less recreational screen time

·      1 hour or more of physical activity

·      0 sugary drinks, more water and low fat milk

We hope you will encourage the 5-2-1-0 messages at home.  For further information check out the website www.letsgo.org, especially the parent section.  Other websites that encourage healthy eating and activity for kids are:

www.nutritionforkids.com, www.eatright.org, www.kidnetic.com and www.choosemyplate.gov.

Here are the plans for the Garden where we will watch our pennies grow: 

News from the Wellness Committee

PLAYGROUND AND GARDEN UPDATES from the Wellness Committee

The FES Wellness Committee is committed to providing more diverse recess activities and learning areas where children are able to engage in self-paced play to expand their imaginations beyond the classroom. Please check out our posts "ThePeace Park" and "Chia Pets and Gardens" to find out some of our recent accomplishments and future plans.