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Student Group Work at Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School

Our School Garden

About Our School Garden and Outdoor Classroom

Adelante Selby’s school garden is a special space where children connect the standards they are learning in the classroom to the natural world around them. Activities in the vigorous and vibrant oasis are linked to language arts, history, science, and nutrition curriculum through planned--and spontaneous--lessons.

Three children in school uniforms work in a raised garden bed in the foreground, with a tree and chairs visible in the background.
A blue sign with yellow lettering reading %22SELBY LANE SCHOOL GARDEN%22 is attached to a chain-link fence in the foreground, with a blurred background showing children and trees.
A young woman in a green shirt and straw hat smiles at the camera while children in school uniforms water plants in a garden bed, with trees and a fence in the background.
Children in the foreground are examining soil in trays, while a raised garden bed is visible in the background.
Children in the foreground are examining soil with spoons, while a woman in a straw hat stands in the background near a building.
Tall, dry corn stalks stand in the foreground against a bright blue sky, with a chain-link fence and greenery in the background.
A variety of pumpkins and watermelons are growing in raised garden beds, with a fence visible in the background.
Young plants are growing in a raised garden bed with drip irrigation in the foreground, and a wire fence is visible in the background.
A young woman in a green shirt points to a poster while a group of children sit on tree stumps in front of a wooden fence.
A teacher guides young students at a table with science experiments in a classroom with colorful charts on the wall.

Our school garden and outdoor classroom aims to grow scientists, healthy eaters, and environmental stewards through hands-on experiential learning. We strive to get our hands (a little) dirty by using the garden as a platform for our learning, caring for it and the land that grows the fresh garden veggies and fruits we love to eat. We’re passionate about working together, challenging ourselves while trying our best, being safe, and respecting one another. Oh, and of course having fun!

The outdoor classroom features benches set among several large garden beds full of seasonal plants like various vegetables, herbs, succulents, and blooming flowers. There are also many fruit trees for young thinkers to enjoy. 

Students have a hand in much of the garden work, including building “bug hotels,” creating or decorating raised beds, and tending to the plants--all while they learn by doing. With hands in the soil, children explore important and age-appropriate concepts such as the five senses, plant anatomy, the scientific method, and wellness and nutrition. 

There are extended opportunities, as well, with an afterschool Garden Club and a nutrition ambassador program held at lunchtime.