Due to the beautiful weather this past season, the Garden produced a large harvest that we are excited to share with the greater community.

The Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 4 students planted the 2021 school gardens last spring, planting root vegetables, potatoes, and carrots.

Ms. Stam’s Grade 9 class dug in, offering a helping hand with the harvesting. Students enjoyed taking part in this hands-on learning activity, playing in the dirt, enjoying fresh air, and witnessing the magic of the growing season.

“The purpose of the garden was to provide opportunities for children to understand and experience how food is grown, and to make connections to Alberta curriculum outcomes in meaningful and experiential ways. Each year, different groups of students take part in planting, tending to, and harvesting the gardens,” said teacher Bev Seguin.

The school community will celebrate the harvest with a vegetable soup prepared by the Castle Café chefs. Students and staff can purchase a vegetable chowder for lunch on November 17 during our Community School Garden Fundraiser. Half the proceeds will go to the Calgary Food Bank and the other half will go back into the school gardens for the spring planting in 2022.

Students can pre-order lunch in their LunchTime Account, and several choices will be available including soup/sandwich, soup/salad and soup/bun.

“All the profits from the soup go back into the school gardens and to the Calgary Food Bank. This way, our gardens are sustainable and have yet to cost the school any additional costs. The collaborative approach to these gardens incorporates all aspects of our REACH principles, as it is truly a school-wide effort,” said Bev Seguin.