A Picture Paints a Thousand Words!

New life springs eternal at Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden, as flowers put on a colourful display and the lemon and olive tree and the neighbour's mulberry tree, show the promise of things to come!

 

Looking Sideways - Discovery and Exploration in Libraries!

 

The National Catholic Resource Centre Network held their conference at the Edmund Rice Retreat & Conferrnce Centre 'Winbourne'  - Mulgoa in late September. One of the sessions 'Kitchen Gardens in Schools' was presented by Learning Support Teachers from St Patrick's Primary, Blacktown and St Francis of Assisi Primary, Glendenning, who teamed up with the National Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia.  Participants were given the opportunity to reflect on the natural Spring beauty which 'Winbourne' offered, to hear about Kitchen Garden programs in the Parramatta Diocese and the wonderful work being done, nationally, by Catholic Earthcare!

Decoupage Anyone!

At St Patrick's Primary Blacktown the serious business of decoupaging is on in earnest! It involves collecting a variety of samples of nature from the garden, preparing the necessary materials and most of all sharing ideas with classmates on how best to construct a natural Outdoor Scene! A very colourful result!

The Work is Never Done!

There is always something exciting to do at the Nagle College Agriculture Farm and in Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden at Blacktown South ... whether it is a 'war on weeds', finding the longest earth worm, taking delivering of a load of  hay or constructing a memorial to Xena, a much loved sheep ... the job is never ending, but very rewarding!

Starting Young!

It's never too early to start giving children an experience of a Naturalistic Approach to Language! At St Michael's Blacktown South the Playgroup like to visit Nano Cottage Kitchen Garden to observe, discover, exclaim and help out with turning the compost ... the parents and grandparents like to join in the fun, too!

Wait There's More!

The Upper Primary students at Holy Trinity Granville, were happy to include the Kindergarten students in their activities as they added another garden bed to their Kitchen Garden. The Kinders had fun pretending to be plants and they also helped out with the watering of the already  flourishing produce!

 

 

Ten Tiny Things & The Magnificent Tree!

These two books will enhance students' observation and vocabulary skills and give them plenty to talk about!

It was a red thing. It was a sparkly thing.
It was a tiny, tiny thing

Tessa and Zachary have a machine that is swift and splendiferous. Every day it carries them from here to there and back again in cool calm comfort. But one morning, the machine breaks down. Tessa and Zachary are forced to venture into the world beyond its metal walls – a place of secret somethings and hidden happenings. Getting from here to there may never be the same …

 

As you can only imagine, Nick Bland and Stephen Michael King make a STELLAR team. Together, they have created a book that warms your heart from beginning to end. The Magnificent Tree is not only a celebration of the relationship between a child and grandparent, but also a lesson in nurturing small ideas.