It is, I’m sure, no surprise to anyone reading this vision and mission statement to realise that some of us are made for the classroom and some are not! We all have different ways of learning and experiencing the world. At Corpus Christi Primary, Waratah, we seek to educate, celebrate and inspire the wholeness of each person.
Yes, we have a veggie patch; yes, we have a mini orchard; yes, we have beautiful flowers and no, we didn’t havea space that might touch all our senses, and so the idea of a sensory garden was born. As suggested by some of the students, a water feature was to be central. When discussing my plans with the parents of a student who died last year, they were keen to be involved and so they took on the task of building a solar powered water feature in their daughter, Kirralee’s, memory.
The garden is a work in progress, slowly unfolding to appeal to all the senses. Parents have been involved at a working bee; I have had fun visiting op shops and recycling centres uncovering some mysterious objects that will eventually find a home and purpose in the garden. The local Men’s Shed at Waratah has now been engaged to build us a giant size pencil-shaped wind chime where the children will also be able to make their own music.
Smelly plants were a necessity and so the herb garden was planted. Not only are the herbs smelly, they can be tasty too. Chocolate mint is a favourite!