Growing a Great Community Grant: Orchard to Sugar Bush, Naturalist Approach to Science Inquiry
- School Year: 2015-2016
- Applicants: Randi Leopold, Lead Teacher Elizabeth Cannone (Braeburn), Nichola Dustin (Charter Oak), Martina Cravedi (Smith)
- School: Webster Hill
- Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies
Pre-kindergarten classes from the four full day programs at Braeburn, Charter Oak, Smith & Webster Hill Elementary Schools will visit the 4H Education Center at Auer Farm in Bloomfield. The children will participate in two field trips during the year: Apples and Apple Trees in the fall and Maple Syrup in the winter. As part of these programs the children will take hay rides and spend time in the barn, observing and interacting with live animals including cows, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens. These wonderful experiences will allow the children to explore how nature and its natural cycles can be observed using the five senses. They will build on their background knowledge as they participate in these hands on experiences and develop a greater understanding of the world around them. A high percentage of the students in the preschool classes receive free and reduced lunch and/or are identified as English Language Learners. These programs will expand their vocabularies and provide experiences to which they would otherwise not have access.