21st May 2021
Dear Children, Parents, Carers, Staff, Governors and Community Members,
Over the last few weeks, we have been busy improving our outdoor environment at Alveston for our children, our community and for nature. For example, we have:
- Planted an additional 200 trees at Forest School (many thanks to Mr and Mrs Fielding for this!)
- Planted meadow seeds given to us by Mrs Hammond
- Planted Penelope’s Poppies
- Created bird feeders, bug hotels, wormeries, bee nests and ponds for tadpoles, planted wild seeds to encourage nature to our site
- Made beads out of elder for necklaces
- Year 2 and Reception have been planting too and Year 2 have created their own raised bed of sunflowers and beans
- We also have plans to plant some vegetables and we are dreaming of a path lined with lavender plants for a beautiful scent and to encourage the bees!
Having been working on all this since we returned in March, we were delighted when we discovered that the theme for this year’s Stratford in Bloom was ‘rewilding’ and all our work fitted right in with the brief. Great minds clearly think alike!
Rewilding focusses on re-establishing natural wildlife, wildlife habitats, plants and creating a sustainable natural outdoor space.
To continue our work to encourage more wildlife to Alveston, to further improve the environment for all and to be a part of our Stratford in Bloom entry, we wondered if we could ask for your support? Here are some ways you may be able to help us:
- If you are refreshing your own gardens and are digging up any perennial plants you are tired of, would you consider donating them to school? We will plant them all over our grounds including Forest School.
- If you have planted one flower or vegetable seed too many and have a bumper crop of plants as a result, perhaps you might share some with school.
- If you are buying some bedding plants for your borders, planters and baskets, perhaps you could pick up an extra bedding plant for us. Or maybe you could keep your eyes peeled at the supermarket for reduced, poorly looking plants for us – our green fingers here would try to nurse them back to health! All plants would be welcome – big and small, in sickness and in health!
If you need any pointers, we would be delighted to receive and would hugely benefit from donations of:
- Any seeds or plants for edible growing, including nasturtiums, violets, marigolds, sunflowers, berries, herbs, lavender, vegetables and anything else you can think of
- Any other perennial, bi-annual or annual plant or flower
- Compost
- Watering cans
- Water storage/buts
- Volunteer time for all of this planting.
- Signage: If you could make any home-made, sustainable signs to let our community know ‘rewilding is in progress’ we can protect our newly planted spaces.
The list is truly endless - we would appreciate anything and everything to support this project!
We would be grateful for any donations to be with us no later than the week commencing Monday 21st June so we may have time to enter the competition.
Key dates:
- Donations to school from Monday 24th May 2021
- Final date for donations Friday 25th June
- Stratford in Bloom judging will take place from 5th July – 10th July 2021
- The Schools winner will be announced on 16th July 2021
If you would like any further information please do speak to Mrs Clewley or Mrs Clowrey in the School Office.
Thank you in advance for all your support with our project.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Clewley
Head Teacher
