At a Collingswood elementary school, a group of parents, volunteers and educators cultivated a teachable moment and grew a sustainable garden.
“Wouldn’t it be cool to have a club that picks up trash?” That’s the essence of the epiphany that struck Chloe and Riley Purdy on a trip to the Cape May Zoo about three years ago. “There were tons of trash and litter,” Chloe Purdy said. “The zoo guide told us the animals were in danger from the trash there.” The kids took their troubles to their principal, Mary Bezanis, of Mark Newbie Elementary School. A small chat evolved into a broader discussion about things they could do to be “greener”—plant more gardens, eat healthier and clean up more litter—and those impulses evolved into the Green Team after-school club. Last year the Green Team adopted an osprey and built a platform for it to perch in Avalon, said Newbie parent Kim Finnie. This …
Collingswood Child Study Team director Joanne Plescia said the facility will teach prevocational and transitional skills that children can apply to the workforce.
A newly completed student greenhouse will not only teach Collingswood high school and middle school students hands-on gardening skills, but will also act as a vital teaching tool for special-needs students for years to come. The greenhouse officially opened Feb. 27 in a ceremony that drew some 75 guests. “Instead of sitting in a classroom, it’s an opportunity to build points of interest; a different approach to learning,” said Joanne Plescia, director of the Collingswood child study teams. Agricultural projects teach transitional skills, including self-advocacy, problem-solving, stress management and responsibility. For some students, these projects will be "the first thing they’ve done that’s been successful," Plescia said. “There’s a …
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