Lower School Nature Curriculum Featured in Neighbor Days

The Admissions Office in collaboration with lower school science department invited prospective families and community members to explore GA's rich outdoor curriculum during Neighbor Days. Designed to introduce students to Germantown Academy’s unique on-campus natural habitat—the wetlands, the event began with a walk to The Preserve to learn what wetlands are and why they are important. Other activities included using nets in the pond to search for creatures that make their home there and opportunity to make an artistic rendering of a wetlands habitat under the direction of the Germantown Academy LS Art Teacher.

2nd Grade Trip to Penny Pack

Lisa Martin, Lower School Science teacher arranged a visit for her second grade classes to Pennypack Farm and Education Center at The Highlands in Fort Washington. Education. She reports, "Director Diane Diffenderfer gave us a tour of their community supported agriculture (CSA) organic farming project.  We learned about sustainability and the importance of buying locally grown food.  We also learned about organic farming practices and producing food with high nutritional quality. Our visit to the Pennypack at the Highlands built upon our science studies of plants and gardening this spring,* as well our Health and Wellness initiative of promoting good nutrition."  Students saw firsthand the strawberry flowers and immature berries, soon to become ripe and ready for picking and tasted kale that overwintered on the farm." 

MS Green Challenge 2014

Middle School student Olivia Negro along with the support of MS Green Ambassadors director Maura Saurman, Science Chair Rollie Wakeman, and Jay Wright Student Council Leader, successfully launched Green Challenge 2014 a two week set of advisory challenges aimed at demonstrating just how easy it is to Go Green.  "Each day there was a different theme or activity related to green initiatives where students would gain advisory points for meeting those initiatives. Disconnect Tuesday where students were asked to conserve battery power in their devices, Water Bottle Wednesday supporting reusable water bottles, Meatless Monday and Litter-less Lunch Friday, were just a few of the 10 challenges for students," reports Negro before commenting "I am very happy about how the middle school responded to the green challenges. They were enthusiastic about the events and I hope that we can do it next year."

The Swail Project in the Preserve: New Spring Arrivals

Close Up of Tadpoles

Tadpoles Clustered Along the Water Edge

New Plant growth from Fall Seeding

New Plant Growth from Fall Plantings

LS Students Begin Their Spring Planting in The Wolf Garden

Raising the Mighty Monarch in Kindergarten

Earlier in the school year Peter Waxler's students in the lower school began their study of butterflies by raising monarchs in  class followed by a walk to the butterfly garden in the Preserve to read a story about  butterfly habitats.  They finished their unit by  spreading  milkweed seeds in the Preserve to increase monarch caterpillar's only food supply.

Pre K Students Participate in Adopt A Tree