Amazing Progress with WAP group!

Last Wednesday to Friday, pupils were on the "Wider Achievement Program" so a group along with various members of staff chose to work in the garden.  This is a summary of the three days work:

DAY 1

After an introductory game and safety discussion in the poly-tunnel, work started.  Groups took on tasks and rotated throughout the day.  Everyone worked really hard to achieve an amazing amount.

Jobs included:

1) Forming a "chain-gang" to move lots of building material in order for the space to be cleared...

...a great example of teamwork!

Later in the day wheelbarrows helped to move heavy items...

 

...and this was the result!

2)  Painting the shed

 

 A second coat gives it much better colour...

 ...and coveralls kept Mrs Cameron's team's clothes clean!

 

 With so many working on it, the whole shed was done.

3)Making paper pots

 

These were then used to sow seeds - peas and pumpkins.

 4) Refining the edge of the trench to give it a straight edge...

 ready for fixing rabbit wire to it. 

 

It was tiring but Mr Reece's team just got "stuck in" and made quick progress.

 

Soon, they were ready for the wire...

 

...so everyone helped to unroll it and lift it into place against the fence.

 

 

Dr Cruickshank's team then fixed the rabbit wire keeping it taught and securing it with short lengths of straight wire.

 

The first group reach the far end of the garden.

 

Meanwhile Mrs Dilworth's team worked really hard back-filling the fence we set up last week.

 

Miron worked with Mr Richardson to erect more fence posts

 

 

Then during lunch break he fixed one of the old wheelbarrows rescued from the site-builder's skip!

After lunch, the group had a demonstration of the RIDAN composter.

Compost continuing to break down in the maturation bin was maintaining a temperature of 68 degrees!

In the afternoon, the rabbit-fencing continued to be constructed...

 ...which was is a big priority to try and get finished.

 Some barrels were positioned

 and prepared for planting.

 Everyone had a great day!  Well done and thank you for all your hard work!

DAY 2

We started in the classroom with an interesting weather forecast and short talk from Mr Reece on Salix (Willow) and Yew - both interesting plants illustrating how substances derived from plants can benefit us e.g. willow giving us aspirin and yew helping to treat cancer.  We then moved to the garden.

We formed a circle and focused our attention before work, by playing a "who's our leader?" game.  Miss Swallow read a short quote by John Geddes "By the leaf we live" then it was time to get working again!

Archie and Mr Richardson continued the fence woodwork.

Euan found a “daddy-longlegs” chrysalis in the soil.

The “wheelbarrow” gang used trugs today to move an entire builder’s bag of gravel – a sterling effort!

The “fence wire” team filled in the trench along the back fence.

At break time, Mrs Russell and Miss Swallow drove to the council depot to collect an old tractor tyre...

...it was filled with soil...

...and later in the day it was planted up with the rhubarb plants.

Meanwhile more herb seedlings were being potted up in the poly-tunnel...

...Liam took over from Archie helping with the woodwork fence...

... and Charlie started painting some key words onto the side of the shed.

Miron and Ross helped Mrs Cameron and Mrs Dilworth plant the donated trees near the fence.

We thought they would look good with a seat between them in future.

During lunch, Miron photographed some of the insects in the poly-tunnel...

...and drilled holes into some blocks of wood to start making a bug hotel.

Can you see which one says “Hi” ?

Work continued apace after lunch.

Three barrels were planted up...

...more trench-filling...

...shed painting...

...more key words...

...and a large team was coordinated to carry two heavy picnic benches into the garden!

Dr Cruickshank ensured it was lined up perfectly!

Liam gave Sam (one of the janitors) a demo of the RIDAN

He turned the handle...

...and she took a turn as well!

Mrs Murray helped Mr Richardson with more fence posts

They took turns with the hammers!

After putting away the tools, we rounded the day off with a group photo!  Well done everyone for such a huge effort on the second day!!  The place is really starting to feel like a shared garden now!

DAY 3

We started the day with another weather forecast from Mr Reece and a slide show of some topiary (bushes pruned into amazing shapes) and bonsai plants (plants kept small – like a forest of pine trees in a tiny pot!)

In the garden, we played a game again to start the day...

... followed by learning a closed clove hitch knot and a lashing to attach two sticks together in a cross.

This is useful in the garden for making climbing frames for plants to grow up!
The lashing is difficult at first to get the hang of!

Soon we were ready to work for the third day in a row!

Miron and Dr Cruickshank used a staple gun to fix rabbit wire to the wooden fence.

Luke and Mr Richardson continue with the woodwork.

A large group dismantled the willow pile.

 They sorted it into different thicknesses to store for various purposes...

... and made some habitat piles in the trees outside the garden with the left over pieces.

Lucas, Euan and Jethro made more paper pots out of old newspapers then used them to pot up more seedlings.

The boys needed more pots so Mrs Cudak, Euan and Hope stepped forward to help make some more.

Thanks to Mrs Abel who has a food & hygiene certificate, we were able to have a BBQ for lunch on day 3!

 Another thank you goes to Mrs Cudak for lending us her own BBQ and to Mrs Russell for calling in to buy the supplies that morning!

We enjoyed a variety of sausages...

...salad, sauces and rolls followed by baked bananas with melted chocolate...

...and marsh-mallows on sticks!

After lunch it was time for one last push!  Hope took over painting key words on the shed.

A large group filled in the trench along the wooden fence.

Then at last it was time to put all the tools away and sit for a well-deserved rest!

It was an amazing three days of hard work.  All pupils and staff were totally wonderful with the effort and enthusiasm they put into the tasks!  We now have the basis of a real garden which is almost rabbit-proof (we ran out of wire so there’s just a little more to fix!) and even has seedlings and plants in now.

A huge THANK YOU to all those involved – this is now your garden so feel free to visit and help work in the garden in future!  I hope that we will soon have it ready for class bookings so staff and pupils can use the facility during the school day for Teaching and Learning in this outdoor setting!