We would love to purchase a small experiment pulley, explorer pulley set and accessories. This collection will allow children to set up carrier equipment, problem solve and bring further STEM to their outdoor learning space. This will create further positive connections to the environment. In total this will be £200.
The second part of our stretch would be to fund an outdoor enrichment day, with an educational bird of prey experience. Each of our classes will have an hour interactive session, learning about there’s magnificent birds and how they are important in balancing our ecosystem. We hope the session will help open our children’s eyes to the importance and roles of these magnificent birds and other animals. To provide 3 class sessions will be £150.
This project will add to our Sensory and Growing garden which was a large focus to our 2024 fundraising. With the help of our school and local communities, AVIVA fund matching and 'We Love Lichfield Grant' our charity (Friends of the Howard School) were able to create a wonderful landscaped area complete with polytunnel that the children of the Howard are already nurturing.
Now our focus turns to funding plants and seedlings ready for Spring to make this area shine and be utilised to its full potential.
We believe and value creating opportunities to learn, connect with nature, use time and energy in caring for our environment, and so promoting holistic physical and mental wellbeing.
Our aim is to shape our wonderful dedicated outdoor space with a sensory and growing area in which the children can take pride and ownership, working as a team. With this fundraising drive we hope to:
- Provide the seeds, tools and potting areas to help the children grow their own produce, to then use in their school meals, which are cooked on site. Teaching them ownership, pride in their work, horticultural life skills to take into adulthood and an appreciation of sustainability.
- To add to the planting and more sensory pieces to enhance our sensory garden. This is an area that children will be able to pause and mindfully relax in a space which is dedicated to work for the different senses, creating a tranquil environment that promotes wellbeing.
- To enhance the Forest School, this area is providing a regular complementary stimulating and creative learning environment, and an opportunity for all children to shine.
Our Children will also be fundraising for this project by completing an outdoor bingo this February. This will see each child completing a set of outdoor challenges, raising money through sponsorship. Here are some examples of what our children plan to achieve:
- urban sketching
- planting Spring seeds
- building a den
- making a bird feeder and much more.
We cannot wait to add more planting and equipment to see this area be used to it's full potential and give an exciting start to our first growing season!
We hope you can help us make the most of this wonderful space.
Thank you!
