MOUNT Pleasant Primary School is developing its own sensory garden with the help of a Engaging Communities Grant received last year.<\/p>\n
The north corner of the playground has recently become home to the garden, and Principal, Kate Robinson\u00a0 said it will eventually engage students\u2019 five senses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is that the sensory garden will connect to our curriculum and to students learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that heart and hands connect to the brain, so we want our kids to be connected to things that are important to them, using their hands, and then they become engaged learners,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have sight; an array of beautiful things to look at, sound; being able to attract birds, touch; the furry leaves, taste; for food, and smell; we\u2019ve got jasmine starting to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an ideal escape space for children to regulate their own feelings and behaviours if they experience sensory challenges or are feeling overwhelmed in a classroom environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really is building those self-regulation skills in students before they\u2019re upset,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving students the strategies to self-regulate is vital to being able to become competent and engaged learners.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents have been using it since last term for that purpose, coming down and walking around. The way it\u2019s designed can calm students.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project began in 2018 and children throughout MPPS are beginning to have input about what they want to do with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe excitement is huge when they realise it will be connected to what they\u2019re doing in the classroom. We\u2019ve got students thinking about being water savers, we\u2019ve had a committee come up with how we can keep our garden tidier, so they\u2019ve self-organised.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we will see by spring, is hopefully, a garden that is planted out and being used by students. We really want the students to own it,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll eventually be able to grow food in there, but our foundation and Grade 1-2 students\u2019 goal this term is to create a butterfly garden, so they\u2019re exploring the concepts of ecosystems, interdependence and adaptation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn doing that, they\u2019re going to be creating an ecosystem for butterflies. They\u2019ve got the cocoons, they\u2019re going to be hatching their own butterflies, and in Spring, we\u2019re hoping to have a beautiful butterfly garden,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Also in the works is a herb garden, a new opportunity to connect students with cooking.<\/p>\n
Ms Robinson is grateful for the Engaging Communities Grant, and support of MPPS families, especially parent, Rebekah Spark who has been instrumental in getting the garden up and running.<\/p>\n
MPPS also has a cosy sensory room to help children relax and return back to their classroom feeling calm, before any problems arise. It\u2019s a space more exclusive to students with vestibular and proprioceptive sensory challenges, whereas the garden is a space for all children.<\/p>\n
With dim lighting, a quiet tent, gentle music, stress balls, a trampoline, books, noise cancelling headphones and more, the indoor sensory room is warm and welcoming.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of things that they can use to calm their nervous systems down a little bit if they\u2019re stressed or feeling anxious, which is really important,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was from a grant put together by Jenny Dyer, who\u2019s our Leading Teacher, and our Student Engagement Officer, Leah Lacny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, both spaces and the broader attitudes of MPPS are positively impacting the Mount Pleasant community, making it a better, more inclusive place to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re going as a school, how we can make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others,\u201d Ms Robinson said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MOUNT Pleasant Primary School is developing its own sensory garden with the help of a Engaging Communities Grant received last year. The north corner of the playground has recently become home to the garden, and Principal, Kate Robinson\u00a0 said it will eventually engage students\u2019 five senses. \u201cThe idea is that the sensory garden will connect […]<\/p>\n