VOICES

As evidently shown in several social media platforms, staying home has introduced many of us in the Keys community to a lot of interesting and fun activities. How many of us have posted online how it finally took the pandemic to teach us how to bake or cook deliciously, or at least, decently? Or perhaps, discover that we can do expressive artworks or start an online business? And after two seemingly long years, we are back again in what we do pre-pandemic outside the comforts of our houses, but this time, bringing our new loves to the new normal. 

One of the activities that is well-loved during the pandemic is gardening. Some Keys parents and teachers tried out gardening to transform their boredom to a productive pursuit of growing fresh flowers and food. What is so cool about this is that it is not only the adults who enjoyed this work, but also the children. While staying home, many of our kids have learned how to plant seeds and cultivate the growing greeneries. This, in turn, sparks some wonders to those who have not explored gardening yet. And now that everybody is back in school face-to-face, it is wonderful to see how kids bring that appreciation for nature. 

What’s the proof?  Well, the Keys School Manila garden.

Based on the previous school blog titled “Let’s Explore the Keys Playground”, it is highlighted that the Keys garden is a space where kids can experience and enjoy the calmness and shade that the thick foliage provides during playtime. During Outdoors time at the playground, the kids show their enjoyment of being surrounded by plants that invite them to take a deep breath of fresh air as they relish a 30-minute brain break before their afternoon classes. The school garden serves as a kind of a wellness area as it helps the kids de-stress after a few hours of morning studies. 

As the kids take their relaxation under leafy arms, the presence of the plants in our school garden provides them a gateway to be more curious about the natural world around them. Their active inquiries about plant life are then brought to the classroom, where they have rich discussions about lessons such as parts of a flower, plant pollination, photosynthesis, osmosis, soil erosion, environmental conservation, and more! It is just so lovely to see them armed with scientific awareness when they come back for Outdoors, as they observe how their lessons make sense and apply in real life in the school garden. 

Our school makes its best effort to develop a better garden that grows a whole person as advocated by the progressive philosophy of education. The ideas and appreciation of nature that are planted in each young mind in Keys is supposed to be watered with strong support in order to yield good fruits from the children. We hope that as a Keys community, as teachers and parents, school gardening is something that we can work together hand-in-hand to make our children healthier in mind and body. 

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“Let’s Explore” is a series of blogs which features Keys School Manila’s facilities and highlights their valuable contribution to promoting progressive education and nurturing lifelong learners.