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Bay Park Elementary School students are more fortunate than they may even realize. They don’t have just one garden or even two gardens, they have three. Retired Bay Park Principal Diane Bailey comes back every Wednesday to teach students about plants and the role they play in our ecosystem, our communities and our world. The gardens provide students with learning opportunities in horticulture, social studies, science, and math.
“The native garden was designed to provide a learning and reflective experience,” Bailey said. “Students can also come here to read quietly.”
Bailey incorporates social studies, science, math and mapping skills into her lessons. When third-graders studied local communities in social studies, she taught them about the plants associated with local Kumeyaay Indians, and the prominent local horticulturalist Kate Sessions. When second-graders were studying the Mediterranean climate, Bailey incorporated longitude, latitude, maps and climate into her gardening classes.
“We’re also creating our own ecosystem by attracting birds and butterflies with the plants and birdhouses that have been placed around the garden,” Bailey said. “The birdhouses were painted by kindergartners.”
Large rocks are strategically placed around the garden to attract students and give them a place to sit. Soon the garden will have stone tables and benches, thanks to a garden grant. Grants, donations and volunteers have made the Bay Park gardens a reality for the students.
