Located beside lake Mendota in Madison Wisconsin the neighborhood entitled

Spring Harbor in is home to Spring Harbor Environmental Magnet Middle School. The

location of an elementary school since 1956, the school endured a massive

metamorphosis in 1996 when it became a middle school with an emphasis on

th thenvironmental science. The school serves a small number of 6 to 8 graders (around

270) and in orde r to be enrolled the students need to live in the immediate area or have

their name drawn from a lottery. Like many schools Spring Harbor has a variety of

activities outside of classroom however, something that is particularly special to their

school is the implementation of a summer garden program. Spring Harbor’s racial

demographic leans towards a Caucasian student b ody with 56% being white. The rest is

split up relatively evenly with 13% being African American, 12% Hispanic, 11% Asian

and 6% multiracial, furthermore 36% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The first seeds of an idea for outdoor learning were planted when a former art teacher

Mrs. Paris Ford started a ruminant prairie on its grounds and since then Spring Harbor

has transformed into a thriving garden.

Spring Harbor Middle School Outdoor Classroom

"The greenhouse helps us work together and build team work" and "shows what we can accomplish if we work together." - Cami S. and Javier Z. (7th and 8th graders)

"The greenhouse is great because we're an environmental school and its different from other schools and it gives us a chance to learn about how to build things environmentally." - Devika K. (8th grader)

It's unique, its unlike anything that any other school has and it has all these amazing memories that go along with building it." Leah M. (7th grader)

Introduction

Garden Development

1

After Mrs. Ford moved to the nearby Memorial High school, the prairie fell by the

wayside. However when David Ropa joined the school aspirations for the garden were

revitalized. The first rain garden was put in and the following year another followed in

pursuit. After receiving a grant they then instilled their first butterfly garden and it was

teacher Mary Goonan who started a small vegetable garden. The garden has experienced

a transformation from a small prairie to the bustling mecca of life that it has now become

and while it started from just a few isolated plots it now features hoop gardens, vegetable

plots, fruit trees, raised beds (which were made possible thanks to the GROW grant) and

outdoor classroom spaces with places for the children to sit and work. It also contains a

compost bin for garden scraps, which Ropa resourcefully utilized to teach his students

how to make compost tea. To further this composting goal they have attempted to

implement composting lunch food scraps, however it is currently difficult to apply

because there is no positive reinforcement in practice, this is something they are hoping

enforce in the future. Ropa explained that 15 years ago he went to the former principal

Gale Anderson and mentioned that he would like the school to have a greenhouse; now

this idea is in the process of being finalized.

The garden is an opportunity to foster connections within the community and

Ropa boasts on how word of mouth is so helpful when it comes to providing for the

garden. While over $115,000 has been received in monetary donations, many others have

donated their time. In addition multiple groups have heard of the garden and donated

items, for example Spring harbor’s garden received: growing lights from the madison

police department, pots from the UW agriculture, windows for the greenhouse, PVC

2

In terms of garden use Ropa simply states, “some teachers use the garden more

than others.” While some teachers go outside simply to grade papers some c lasses utilize

the garden more often. In order to make sure all the teachers are getting a taste of the

garden Spring Harbor has written it into their plan that every teacher is required to use the

th garden at least once a quarter. Ropa’s 7 grade science c lass goes out to the garden 3-4

times a week, and if the weather is consistently nice he tries to use it everyday. He

believes that some class subjects fit with garden learning more than others. For example

his unit on insects can be easily adapted for the garden by seeing what they eat in the

pipes for hanging planters. The list goes on and on and easily proves the outstanding

sense of community around this garden.

Staff development

Spring Harbor Middle school’s green team consists of 12 -15 teachers, within that

group there is a more active subset entitled gardening team. This team consists of Sandra

Cole, Jennifer Vena , Katie Sinkewicz, recently retired teacher Mary Goonan, and is

unofficially headed up by David Ropa. This group is responsible for helping with

program development for the 5 week summer garden camp lead by MSCR, tweaking

outdoor learning curriculum for teachers, developing garden protocol, and inspiring

teachers who are somewhat afraid of the challenges accompanying garden use. In

addition to the above tasks the gardening team is responsible for attending training, (at

Troy gardens) and taking that education and using it for professional development for

their own green team.

3

garden and what flowers they are responding to, and they can test the garden soil for the

ph.

Ropa recognizes that although he is unofficially in charge of the garden he

doesn’t dictate how staff and student use it. He preaches “If it is there, take it home” and

that it is better to send the food home with a student whose family is hungry than let is go

to waste. Teacher will communicate with one another if certain fruits or veggies are

needed; otherwise the garden operates on a first come first serve basis. During staff

development this provides time for teachers to set aside certain parts of the garden they

need or discuss pros and cons around the garden.

While some students need an extra math or language class, other students are able

to take an elective such as science extension. This elective is typically chosen by AB

students, however, many students who were otherwise struggling in other classes and

need to get their hands dirty with outdoor activity also participate in this class. In science

extension students get to work mainly on outdoor activities such as making trebuchets

and they often work on the greenhouse, using power tools to build it and hand packing

the inside walls with clay lined hay. In this extension class the students also utilize the

food they’ve grown for cooking and because Spring Harbor lacks a consumer education

class they often have to pass hurdles as small as learning to properly use knifes.

th In the winter the 7 grade teachers come together to create a food unit. The

students take ingredients from the garden and create a food concept that spans from

drinks, bakery, pizzas etc. In science they create an ing redient list and learn about its

nutrition, in art they design the packaging, in language arts they create an ad, in their

language class they create subtitles for that ad and in math class they take the

4

measurements of their label, such as finding the surface area. Ropa clearly exclaims

“food is such a connector” and this unit shows how it spans across all aspects of life.

Gardening Camp

Something unique about Spring Harbor middle school is that some of the greatest

interactions with the garden occur over the summer when MSCR utilizes the site to host a

gardening camp. Through this camp kids come and get their hands dirty and spend time

out in the garden and learn how to tend for it, prepare food and are fed for the low price

of $85. Mary Goonan a recently retired teacher from Spring Harbor who now helps with

garden camp says that it is amazing to see the kids “exploring and learning” and that it

“gives them a sense of place.” One of the things that the GROW grant helped provide

was to give this organization money for greatly needed supplies such as cooking

instruments. Goonan recalled an event of a child so excited that they made stir fry at

camp with ingredients from the garden that they took extra supplies home and taught

their own family to make it and it really shows the sense of pride these children build

when they have an interaction with the garden and furthermore Sinkewicz stated that this

sense of pride allows the students to, in return, “become the teachers themselves.”

Student Involvement

Another unique aspect of Spring Harbor’s garden is the level of student

involvement in the making of this garden. Sinkewicz explained that in her art class she

had students envision a design for the greenhouse and they then took it to an architect

who helped shape the greenhouse into what it is today. The involvement of the children

5

in creating the greenhouse helped them become more invested in outdoor learning. To

perfectly summarize Goonan stated that “kids needed to build it to help appreciate it” and

because of this the kids are more eager to do the work. Once the children return from

their time outside they always ask to go outside the next day and their eagerness to go

outside and stay outside is, as Sinkewicz exclaimed, “reassuring that we are doing the

right thing.” Another surprising effect of the garden is that somewhat more troubled

students thrive outside and are “leaders as opposed to being the kid in the hallway.” In

addition, when they do see those kids in the hallways in their other classes it only takes a

few words to reconnect with them and they have a new positive to draw on and

strengthen teacher student relationship.

GBOE and the Community

The community has been more than a source of donations; many community

members have given their time to help the garden prosper. Spring Harbor neighborhood

host a yearly plant sale and whatever plants that are not sold are given to the garden

further proving the connection to the community. The help from the community has been

tremendous with eagle scouts, former students, badger volunteers and master gardeners

utilizing the garden as a volunteer site. While parent involvement hasn’t shown any

noticeable increases since the gardens introduction Saturday work days on the

greenhouse have shown an increase in the amount of kids coming back to help as well as

teachers.

Future of the garden

While the use of the garden is quickly increasing it also is quickly presenting new

challenges and thoughts. For example, because the garden is open to all teachers it results

6

in many faculty members not taking items from it in fear that they might be stepping on

someone toes. In the future they wish to harvest more of the products and as Sinkewicz

mentions that they want to make sure it “goes to the right places” meaning children who

would benefit from it the most. Along these lines kids can currently get scholarships to

gardening camp however since Spring Harbor is a magnet school it receives students

from all around Madison and traveling is difficult for some, in the future it would be

helpful to get some transportation sorted out for these children. The garden idea is

constantly transforming with no end in sight and concepts for it are continuously being

suggested. The end goal is to terrace the hill and give those plots of land to the

community as a garden, however at this point they are not quite ready to take this step

yet. Future ideas that the green team suggested were the introduction of a plot for a

honeybee house and even chickens! While the garden first started many years ago is

nowhere near its end, with its evolution continuing into the future. The greenhouse is the

project has the most prosperous future ahead of it, and was given a new roof just days

before my first site visit. It has a variety of different goals in its future such as being used

as a food preparation site, planting area, workspace and aqua-phonics system were native

fish can be housed. Because the garden space is tucked towards the back of the school

some parents can go all three years without ever seeing it and therefore band concerts can

be held in this area (weather providing), and their annual ice cream social can be

transformed into a garden social. An unintended consequence of the garden is the deep

connection that is established with the kids and faculty have noticed that the student are

more open to talking about personal things, therefore, Spring Harbors green team

believes that every school should be looking into using their garden as a place of

7

counseling services. Ropa states that the purpose of a garden is to “get the kids outside,

eat stuff, grow things, and get their hands dirty,” with these facilities it is hard not to

fulfill these goals. Sinkewicz beautifully mentioned that having children outside is “in

their DNA” and this is why the use of outdoor education has been so successful.

Final Word Count: 2115

Appendices

thMarch 18 , Spring Harbor Middle School, Interview and garden tour with David Ropa

rdMarch 23 , Spring Harbor Middle School Interview with Mary Goonan, Katie Sinkewicz

and David Ropa

Spring Harbor Middle School. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12th, 2015, from Niche: https://k12.niche.com/spring-harbor-middle-school-madison-wi/

8

Asked to take stir fry home and made it for their families sense of pride :they became the teachers then” art teacher

SATERDAY work days, kids come and bring their parents Connection with plant saledonations from plant sale (enentually do a csa) Working on harvesting more :”needs to go to the right palces” Harder for kids to get their family to the garden because the kids come from

so far away “magnet school” Can get a scholarship to camp. But transportation Ice cream social is a garden party. Hard to know that the garden is here Use the garden for a band concert. Show awareness. Good acoustics Grow helped staff usage. Wrote in their cit plan that once a quarter it is

required for the teachers to go out there. Even read, reflect, listen to the sounds

Some staff development time to help with staff correlation Grow helped them get more resources. Gardening camp “pots and plans”

materials. Helped set up a network and encorperate . monthly inputs/meetings keep you on track. Opens up a network outside of those schools as well. Personal connections last longer then the grant itself

Hoops that you have to jump through with gardening. Fire hydrant not close enough to green house. Effigy mounds hard to build. Lots of waiting for funds. District accounting practices and the way the system is designed makes it hard for students to do it. Misallocated funds. Long response time. Hard to balance a check book. Have to be persistant in getting responses.

More teachers come to help. Eagle scouts come. Former students help. Each year gardening camp gets fuller and fuller Solar oven one year. Future goals bees, chickens Tremendous word of mouth Art teacher- 6 years ago at spring harbor started. Art students came up

stuctures and archeticte brought it togeather. Being outside “”its apart of our blood. Its apart of our dna

Goonan- started little gardens. Love to see the kids exploring and learning. Every year we gather a few more things.

Helps the engagement process, helps kids buy in. they participate and corporate much better.

Kids needed to build it to help appreciate it. Gives them a purpose- art teacher. Sense of place- mary goonan

9

Watching things grow and being able to see progress is helpful. Great because they don’t know the answer- Ropa

Kids always ask to go outside the next day. Eagerness to stay outside and continuously go outside is reassuring that were doing the right thing- art

They want to do the work-ropa The kids who have issues “thrive out here. Leaders as opposed to being in the

hallway”- art Deeper connection with the kids this way. Positive to go on. Teacher student

relationship is strengthened Surprising what they share with you/ deeper conversation. Kids bear there

home life- art. “every social worker should be having there meeting in the garden”

Volunteers Master gardeners, former students, badger volunteers, Edible schoolyard, so much more wildlife growing here. Birds nest on site Took staff outside during earth day. Don’t care if they’re helping build or not

but they want them to be outside. District needs to look at how they are supporting kids Many more opportunities to use the garden. Counseling services Could use a part time garden educator.

elective, work on green house, using power tools, eventually greenhouse will be

workplace, prepair food, can it, how to use knifes (no consumer ed at school), kids who

take it are typically ab students, or kids who struggle with school and need hands on,

Some teachers use more than others

Started raised beds

Ropa class- 3-4 times a week, if nice, everyday

How to adapt circculumn

Insects in fall- eating, responsing to what flowers,

Soil testing- ph

Science goes out the most

How to take kids out when its so much easier

Some materials fit better than other

If its out there eat it

Take it home

Communicate when needed otherwise it’s a first come first basis

Sets out lesson plans (heres how to use a solar oven)

Experience- cooking, planting (reading back of seed packet)

10

outdoor classroom

grow grant- recycled platetes-

biochar- in process, fertilizer

composting- take scraps. Compot tea. Garbage can for lunch- working on getting kdis to

do it

straw clay intertor- kids packed it down. Clay dries from inside out. Wont mold

greenhouse- aqua ponics system, grazing fish. Food preparation. Planting area.

Workspace.

100

word of mouth

money-110$ in donations

reclaimed and recycled materials- house in Monona window, growing lights donated

from madison police,

pond feature

cold frames-

pots- from madison agriculture. Used it as a border to garden.

-pvc pipes

learning stations

earth day- they clean the gardens and get ready for next year. Maintain itself- b/c perinals

Science extension- elective, work on green house, using power tools, eventually

greenhouse will be workplace, prepair food, can it, how to use knifes (no

consumer ed at school), kids who take it are typically ab students, or kids who

struggle with school and need hands on,

Future of the garden

GBOE and the Community

Appendices

Green team-

12-15 teachers enviro community

gardening team- mary goonan- retired, art treacher, Sandra cole, ms. Venna

5-6 staff that really immerse themselves

lead by ropa

roles-

5 week summer garden camp program development (not

Mscr (advistise for them and pay for it)

8:30-11:30 (many come early, stay late)

cook, garden (eat well)

11

Tweaking circculum for other teachers

Protcalls for items used in the gardens

Professional develop for teachers-

Inspire teachers to do it (think a lot of teachers are afraid)

Ms. Ford- started by making a reminet prarie.

2 rain gardens, a butterfy garden

(done with

teacher turnover- ropa “I can never retire, that’s a fear, when people go in and do

something people see it as their domaine and its hard to make them see it as theres as

well” teachers could just grade papers outside

halled mulch

training

Grow grant- sharing of ideas via teachers

Troy gardens take knowledge teach other teachers

School opened in 96

Elemtary school in 58 then closed and reopened

No gardens when ropa came

Reminant prarie that wasn’t kept up when ford left.

Built rain garden, then the next year another

Money t build butterfly garden

Mary goonan started gardening program (very small)

Each year kept expanding it

Fruit trees

Someday we’d like to have a greenhouse, 15 years later…

Some teachers use more than others

Started raised beds

Ropa class- 3-4 times a week, if nice, everyday

How to adapt circculumn

Insects in fall- eating, responsing to what flowers,

Soil testing- ph

Science goes out the most

How to take kids out when its so much easier

Some materials fit better than other

If its out there eat it

Take it home

Communicate when needed otherwise it’s a first come first basis

12

winter- food processing, food storage

food unit- month unit

take igrediants from the garden and create a food concept (drinks, bakery, pizzas),

recipe, indgrediants list, recipe label, packageing, commercial, substiels (in landguage

that they’re taking) food expo.. lots of interest form the kids. “food is such a connector” split them into groups, work with the same groups. Math class- surface label of product,

science- nutrion value LA- ads,e

Sets out lesson plans (heres how to use a solar oven)

Experience- cooking, planting (reading back of seed packet)

Science extension- elective, work on green house, using power tools, eventually

greenhouse will be workplace, prepair food, can it, how to use knifes (no

consumer ed at school), kids who take it are typically ab students, or kids who

struggle with school and need hands on,

Purpose- get kids outside, eat stuff, grow stff (16)

Grow- tied us into a network of knowledge people from dane county

Master gardeners sign up to use for volunteers

Lots of word of mouth

Pilled stuff out into December- kale,

Dig up stuff and put them in pots and keep inside

Ask kids what they want to grow

Mun students

Okra

Bring in their own heritage

Try to make dishes, or plant

Any parents envolved?

Mostly in summer, not in the school year, many kids don’t want to hang

Goal: community garden

Would love hill to be terraced

Not step up for quite yet

Some kids will come down to pick it

Grow grant- many community paretners

3-400 diff organizations

take any ideas, any donations, any volunteering

put word out and people donated soon after

13

14