Garden Update

What's Going On In The Garden?  Lots of exciting stuff!

• We are currently growing a great variety of lettuce, kholrabi, broccoli, carrots, beets, cabbage and herbs. 
• Our Master Gardener, Judy Mackenzie has been visiting once a month to give lessons to the classes who are participating in the garden. 
• Tracy Campbell, our Composting Director, has been working with the worm bins and the composting bins to get them up and running.  The 2nd Grade classes will be working with the worm bins and the 4th Grade classes will be in charge of the composting bins, however all grade levels will be contributing to the composting bins.  
• Outdoor work tables were constructed from pallets and plywood table tops, Kelly Zjilstra will be working with the 5th graders to paint the tops of the work tables. 
• We have just purchased 4 Rain Barrels and will be working on installation of them in the next few months. 
• Our Recyling Program at Bonsall Elementary has been progressing, please keep your eyes open for the CRV recycling drive coming soon, start saving all CA redemption value recycling now. We plan on having monthly recycling drives before our pick up dates and the Large blue bins will be placed outside front gates. Kids are encouraged to bring CRV recycling from home to place in bins. We get every dollar raised from recycling and it goes into our garden fund to help keep our Garden Growing.
• Join our local CSA (community supported agriculture), JR Organics ...if you would like to find out more information about receiving fresh, local organic produce delivered directly to Bonsall Elementary every Thursday... Check out their website at jrorganicsfarm.com  or contact Rachel Thomas for questions. JR Organics donates back to our school and provides all of our organic starter plants and seeds for our Garden!

Grade Level Specific Updates:

2nd Grade:
The first composting Worm Bin is up and running and we expect a second bin to be started soon.

3rd Grade: 
Continuing on with their herb lessons including tasting and researching herbs.  There was a soil exploration lesson in January and some classes have made teas, sachets of lavender, etc with their harvested herbs.

4th Grade:

Kristin Lewis is helping the 4th graders with Planting California native plants such as Chia, Red Maids, Arrowleaf Balsam Root, Blue Wild Rye, and Indian Lettuce.  They will also be working with the composting bins.

5th Grade:

Starting on weather lessons. Thermometers were purchased for them as well as Soil Test kits. Also helping to paint the work tables.

If you are interested in helping with the garden, composting, recycling, lesson ideas... Please contact Rachel Thomas at racheldee11@gmail.com

RECYCLING DRIVE 10/22-10/24

BES Recycling Drive:
Tuesday, October 22 - Thursday, October 24Big Blue Recycle Bins will be located Outside the school gates for students and families to deliver recycling products before school and after school.

 

CRV Recycling Accepted at BES:
Products Packaged in Aluminum, Glass, Plastic or other Beverage Containers...for example....Plastic Bottles (i.e. gatorade, vitamin water, juice, soda) and Starbucks Iced Coffee Drink Cups. NO BEER or ALCOHOL CONTAINERS PLEASE

 

Help Us Keep Our Garden Growing, donate items to our recycling drives throughout the year!

 

Bonsall Education Foundation (BEF) has partnered with Urban Corps of San Diego to establish a recycling program to help fund the Garden at Bonsall Elementary. Urban Corps of San Diego partners with schools throughout the county to provide recycling services and education about the environmental benefits of recycling. Urban Corps of San Diego will provide us with recycling pick up service, sort it at their facilities and deliver it to a recycling center for the cash return value (CRV). Bonsall Elementary receives ALL the cash return value (CRV) back from Urban Corps and all funds earned will help fund the BEF Bonsall Sprouts Garden!  For more information about Urban Corps of San Diego, visit their website:

http://www.urbancorpssd.org/

 



Garden Update

After only 11 months of planning, fundraising and constructing, we are thrilled to announce that the BES garden has been growing wonderful vegetation, such as lettuce, green beans and tomatoes that are now making their way into the cafeteria to be served at lunch to the students.

The BEF Garden Committee at Bonsall Elementary is currently looking for volunteers to help with the garden throughout the year. Parents can sign up in their classroom or email Rachel Thomas, BES Garden Committee Chairperson at racheldee11@gmail.com. Classes will start pulling out old plants and getting their class beds ready for fall planting. J.R. Organics is donating lettuce, kale and swiss chard star ts, sugar snap peas, carrots and other seeds to plant. Additionally, this year we will begin composting soon with compost bins as well as worm bins.

Please click here for pictures of what the garden looks like up and running!
Garden Pictures

Planter Boxes are Installed!

The Planter Boxes have finally been build and placed in the garden thanks to all the generous efforts of the garden volunteers who joined together Saturday, February 9th.  Everyone did a fabulous job and worked together so well, it was all done in three hours!  TO EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR SKILLS AND MANPOWER, THANK YOU, YOU ARE A WONDERFUL ASSET TO OUR SCHOOL!  Here's some pictures as the garden was being put together.  The next step will be soil installation and irrigation mapping, we're looking good to plant a Spring harvest!

READY TO BUILD!

The Bonsall Sprouts Garden Committee is excited to announce that we are ready to build our planter beds! As many of you know, throughout the summer and fall we have been fundraising and writing for grants to raise money to build our Garden. Thanks to our wonderful community, dedicated volunteers and awesome families we raised over $13,000 and are ready to get the Garden started. Our first step is to build our planter boxes. We would love for you to join us as we tackle this project on Saturday, February 9th, starting at 9:00am. We will meet out at the Garden which is just beyond the track. We will have water, coffee and snacks available for all volunteers. If you are able to help out, RSVP to Garden Volunteer Day by emailing: racheldee11@gmail.com. For safety reasons, we are asking for only adult volunteers for this first building project.

As we enter the next phase of building our garden, we will need volunteers to help in many ways. If you have a special skill that you think would be useful to the school garden or just a general love of gardens and would like to assist with the building and maintenance of the school garden please contact us at bonsallsprouts@gmail.com. We need as many volunteers as possible to build this garden and keep it maintained.

The Magical World of Hummingbirds

The BEF Garden Committee would like to let you know about an upcoming community event: "The Magical World of Hummingbirds"

Join us for a delightfully educational event for the whole family on Saturday, February 16, 2013 from 10 a.m. to Noon. Learn all about these diminutive feathered friends: their characteristics, biological needs and behaviors. Also learn which plants will attract these tiny marvels to your yard.

This free event will be presented by Marian Stacey, also known as "The Hummingbird Lady." Stacey will also discuss how she cares for injured and orphaned hummers and may bring some baby birds.

The Magical World of Hummingbirds

Saturday, February 16, 2013 10 a.m. to Noon.

Admission is free to the public. Bring a brown bag lunch if you like. Picnic-table seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. This outdoor event will take place rain or shine.

RSVP Requested by February 11, 2013

to talkplants@waterwisebotanicals.com or call (760) 728-2641

Event Held at: Waterwise Botanicals 32183 Old Highway 395 Escondido, CA 92026

For more Info visit: www.waterwisebotanicals.com

Garden Update

Thank you to all the generous families of the Bonsall School District for donating over $700 in the School Garden Pledge Drive and Back-to-School Night Plant sales.  We received a special donation of $500 from the Pato family and a $500 donation from the Angel Society! And last weekend at the Bonsall Country Festival, Bonsall Sprouts hosted a booth with Rock Painting and Pumpkin Decorating, as well as a Plant Sale and raised $600.  So we've raised over $2,000 in the past 6 weeks thanks to all of our supporters. 

We are hoping to reach $3,000 which is the goal for installing the planter beds and irrigation.  We're really close everyone!  Start clearing your schedules for a ribbon cutting ceremony in the beginning of November, its looking good for the students to be able to plant before Thanksgiving break to grow for a Spring Harvest. 

If you would like to donate your time or services to Bonsall Sprouts to build the planter beds, please contact us at bonsallsprouts@gmail.com.