In the fall of 2008, the faculty of Newbern Grammar School adopted a beautification plan for our school in rural, west Tennessee. Suggestions were made to spruce up our campus, inside and out. With this goal in mind, I wanted to find a way for the children of my pre-K class to contribute in a visible, meaningful way. Inspired by Rusty Keeler's suggestions in Natural Playscapes, Creating Outdoor Environments for the Soul, and with the help of students, parents, and support staff, we created the beginnings of a sunflower house in the spring of 2009. Our "house" grew throughout the summer; and by the start of the next school year, it became a truly grand structure in the eyes of the children.
Although our "building," (only 16 feet in diameter) required a lot of time, effort, and care throughout its duration, it ultimately provided us with a multitude of opportunities. We were able to dig and explore and plant and water. We watched and discussed and questioned and compared. We measured and recorded and painted and printed. We wondered and smiled and marveled; and, most of all, we shared our delight with others. Next spring, my class will once again plant a circle of hopeful beauty on our potential-filled campus; and, once again, this group of children, a group of children yet to come, and the entire school community will reap its rewards.
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World Forum 2007 Nature Video
At the 2007 World Forum on Early Care and Education in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, the NACC presented the following PowerPoint presentation which
was prepared by the
Dimensions Educational Research Foundation:
