Leith Chooses Gardening Project update

Growing And Cooking Project update, 21 February 2020

1. Primary 5 – Thursday afternoon slots at the Botanic Gardens FIFTEEN SESSIONS FROM MARCH 2020 TO AUGUST 2020, SOME OF THE LATER SESSIONS WILL BE FOR LARGE NUMBERS. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR PARENT HELPERS TO HELP WITH ESCORTING THE CHILDREN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOONS.

2. Planning towards ‘Event to Pass on Project Learning’ - date of Thursday 12 March (Drummond Open Evening), 4.30pm to 6.30pm: If any parents are available to take part in this event, particularly those who can talk about their child’s or their own experiences of the Growing and Cooking project, then this would be particularly helpful!
USE OF CLASSROOM FOR A DROP IN STALL, WHERE WE CAN TALK LESS FORMALLY ABOUT THE PROJECT AND THOSE DROPPING IN COULD ASK QUESTIONS.
WE COULD HAVE A SLIDE SHOW ROLLING IN THE BACKGROUND AND THE AUDIENCE WOULD BE A MIXTURE OF THOSE FAMILIES COMING TO THE OPEN DAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT DRUMMOND HIGH AND PERHAPS SOME INVITED GUESTS (COMMUNITY GROUPS, WHO DO GARDENING IN PARKS FOR EXAMPLE).
PLANNING TO USE THE WHOLE 2 HOURS, BUT IF INDIVIDUAL ADULTS/CHILDREN CAN ONLY STAY FOR A SHORTER TIME (1 HOUR ETC.), THEN THIS IS FINE, TOO.
AT BROUGHTON, FOR THIS, WE ARE THINKING OF INVOLVING CHILDREN, WHO ARE OUR SUSTAINABILITY REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN THE SCHOOL (PRIMARY 2 TO PRIMARY 7)

3. Better siting of 3 apple trees
TO BE RESOLVED THROUGH MAKING HOLES IN THE PLAYGROUND, AND PUTTING IN ALL 3 TREES TOGETHER. 
WHERE IN PLAYGROUND WOULD BE BEST FOR THIS? A PRIORITY HERE IS TO KNOW HOW SOON THIS COULD BE DONE AND THE APPROPRIATE DIMENSIONS FOR THE HOLE. 
LIAISON WITH 2 APPLE TREE CONTACTS REGARDING DIMENSIONS / LIMITATIONS ON DATES – PREVIOUS ADVICE WAS TO TRANSPLANT BEFORE THE TREES START TO FLOWER.

4. May 2020 planting - We are planning a planting day in May (equivalent to last year’s), to plant the Primary 4 potatoes and some other things, which other year groups could be planting (carrots, sunflowers, mint, other crops).
Current date is Friday 15th May 2020 Could be all 7 year groups, or could be more targeted?

5. Signing up for potatoes before Friday 24 January 2020 - Primary 4 Teachers and both Language Class Teachers to apply for free potatoes to plant via https://www.growyourownpotatoes.org.uk/about-gyop/register/
NOW ACHIEVED FOR PRIMARY FOUR. IF THE LANGUAGE CLASSES WILL BE INVOLVED THIS YEAR, THEN WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH POTATOES FOR EVERYONE.

6. Living fence – this idea was recently proposed by a parent as a barrier against pollution, starting with the top playground, “install thin raised plant beds against the inside of the fencing and plant hardy climbing plants that will help provide a wind barrier for all as well as soaking up the pollution from the road.”
We are hoping to start looking into and progressing this largish project, between March-June 2020.

7. Proper plan drawing of the playground - keen to organise a proper plan drawing of the playground, where the planters are located etc. so that we can mark down what we have planted where, as a record for the future.
An activity for a group of children – involving aspects of drawing, measuring, labelling – also seek parent helpers?
PUTTING OUT AN APPEAL OUT TO PARENTS TO SEE IF ANYONE WITH EXPERTISE IN DRAWING PLANS COULD COME FORWARD.
AIM IS TO CREATE A BIRD’S EYE VIEW, IDEALLY TO SCALE, POSSIBLY USING A TRUNDLE WHEEL.

8. Compost / Gardening waste materials – making arrangements to tidy up the ad hoc arrangements for compost / gardening waste, at the foot of the playground.
a) sign up for a brown bin, in the same way as a normal household.
b) Simultaneously, start investigating proper composting for at least some of the gardening waste – we also might be interested in radio 4’s Big Compost Experiment - https://www.bigcompostexperiment.org.uk/

9. Project report / project sustainability and what continues after the project’s end
We need to start thinking about the end of the project, the project report, and what we want to be the lasting effects of the project – what would we all like to continue after the project is over?
How to gather feedback and consultation with project users for the report
etc. FOR BROUGHTON PRIMARY, SOME OF THE SUSTAINABLE AREAS SHOULD INCLUDE :
- MAINTAIN THE LINK WITH THE BOTANIC GARDENS,
- MAINTAIN A PLANTING DAY IN MAY EACH YEAR FOR AT LEAST SOME YEAR GROUPS,
- KEEP THE PLANTING IN PRIMARY 4, HARVESTING IN PRIMARY 5 AND COOKING IN PRIMARY 6 TRIO
- SEEK DONATIONS OF SEEDS, ALLOTMENT PLANTS, MORE EXTERNAL FUNDING, TO KEEP THINGS GOING, WHEN PROJECT ENDS
- ESTABLISH POSITION WITHIN PARENT COUNCIL / FAB STRUCTURE FOR A GROWING AND COOKING COORDINATOR BEYOND THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT. ENCOURAGING A RANGE OF PEOPLE TO READ THE FIRST DRAFT PROJECT REPORT, SOMETIME IN APRIL 2020.

10. More cooperation with Saheliya
Current proposal is for Thursday 05 March 2020, 11am, some of the Saheliya women to visit our playground, along with some Primary 7 girls.
Start by the girls going over to Saheliya to see how the things, which they planted on Thursday 14 November are now growing and then go on to look round the plants growing in our playground and maybe plant some extra crops in our playground.

11. Possible woodwork with Edinburgh Tool Library for p7s, to make some signs / other things
A MONDAY AFTERNOON, FOR 30 CHILDREN, BEFORE 31 MARCH 2020.

12. More cooking with Primary 6s - (The project’s cooking equipment is currently being stored in the Link, so that it can also be used by the Language Classes. This was agreed with the Language Class teachers before Christmas, when the language classes were making some soup, with playground potatoes.)
PROPOSED DATES: THURSDAY 05 MARCH 2020, WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2020, THURSDAY 28 MAY 2020
➢ 05/03/2020 - IN ADVANCE OF THE PC FAMILY FUN BEETLE DRIVE ON 06 MARCH 2020
➢ 11/03/2020 - FOR THE EVENT AT DRUMMOND HIGH ON 12 MARCH 2020.
➢ COULD ALSO USE THURSDAY 28 MAY 2020, IN ADVANCE OF SUMMER FAIR ON SATURDAY 30 MAY 2020.

13. Nursery –a planting activity in the Nursery before 31 March 2020
TO TAKE THIS FORWARD SHORTLY

14. Offer of planting pumpkins in allotment space from Tommy George
TO TAKE THIS FORWARD SHORTLY

15. Discussion with the Business Manager, from Drummond Community High School (some offers of help – cooking rooms with own class teachers, greenhouse space).
WE WERE ALSO WONDERING IF THERE WAS AN EQUIVALENT WOODWORK OPPORTUNITY?
TO TAKE THIS FORWARD SHORTLY

16. Possible primary 3 bugs topic link –some photos of bugs, taken in the playground

17. We are investigating proper arrangements to pass on grown food (and surplus food from PC/FAB events), where possible, for charitable uses – now and for the future.
THE REMAINING POTATOES WERE PASSED ON TO MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY AT HOPETOUN CRESCENT.

18. Looking for other contacts with an interest in Growing and Cooking – keen to see if Abbeyhill Primary School has an interest in Growing/Cooking, as the third feeder primary school.
Links into the 12th March 2020 event.
We would be interested in suggestions for other links – (not only Primary Schools)