COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO LAUNCH PHASE #1 OF NEW SENSORY & EDIBLE GARDEN AT COVENTRY GRAMMAR SCHOOL

On Saturday, October 24, the Coventry Grammar School (CGS) courtyard was filled with energy, teamwork, and community spirit as over 50 volunteers gathered for the Phase #1 Family Build Day to construct the foundational elements of the school’s new sensory and edible garden.

The turnout represented a broad cross-section of the local community, bringing together CGS staff and their families, CGS students and parents, high school student volunteers, local farmers, and community neighbors. Working side-by-side from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, volunteers turned vision into reality by establishing the physical framework for this innovative outdoor space.

A Vision Seeded in Innovation

The project, titled "Growing Together: A Sensory, Educational, and Edible School Garden," originated last spring when CGS first-grade teacher Isabelle White and reading teacher Erin Hazzard were awarded a Coventry Public Schools Innovative Grant. The project’s scope recently expanded through a new partnership with Farm to School, bringing additional resources and expertise to deliver a richer, hands-on learning experience directly to the courtyard.

What is the CGS Sensory Garden?

The courtyard space is being designed as an interactive, living outdoor classroom and co-regulation area. It will provide students with a dedicated environment to explore, observe, and connect with nature through all five senses; supporting both rigorous academic learning and emotional well-being throughout the school day.

Building on this vision, CGS is using a portion of a CT Grown for CT Kids grant to establish garden beds that offer hands-on learning in agriculture, nutrition, and food origins. The fresh produce grown on-site will be served in the school cafeteria, directly connecting the gardening experience to healthy meals they eat each day.

"We are proud to support this initiative alongside the amazing principal and staff at CGS, all of which encourages students to develop a meaningful connection to the food they eat," said Courtney Haines, Food Service Director.

Phase #1 Major Accomplishments

During Saturday’s four-hour workday, volunteers completed significant milestones to build out

Phase 1:

• Garden Infrastructure & Raised Beds: Assembled and positioned raised garden beds designed for accessible student planting and hands-on exploration.

• Ground & Soil Preparation: Partnered with local farmers and community members to mix, haul, and enrich soil, setting down weed barriers and preparing bed layouts.

• Site Cleanup & Staging: Cleared courtyard brush and staged planting areas ahead of the upcoming seasons.

• Outdoor Kitchen, Storage & Sound Wall: Built a dedicated outdoor play/learning kitchen, constructed a secure storage closet for gardening tools and teaching supplies, and installed an interactive sound wall for auditory sensory exploration.

"What began as an idea to create a meaningful outdoor learning space for our students has grown into something even more special than we imagined,” said White and Hazzard. “Having more than 50 volunteers come together to help bring this garden to life was truly inspiring and a reminder of what is possible when a community comes together. We are excited to continue to develop this space where students can learn, explore, connect with nature, and find moments of calm within their school day. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see how this garden blossoms and grows alongside our students!”

Looking Ahead to Phase #2

With the groundwork successfully laid during Phase #1, CGS is looking forward to Phase #2 in the spring, which will focus on planting, adding sensory path elements, and finalizing student learning stations.

Community members who were unable to attend the build day can still support the project:

• Donations: CGS is currently accepting seed donations and will welcome live plant donations in the spring.

• Spring Build Day: Details regarding volunteer registration for Phase #2 will be shared early next spring.

This information was provided by the Coventry Grammar School. For further information about the project, to donate seeds or plants, or to get involved in Phase #2, please contact Jenn Hammer at jhammer@coventryct.org