Our Aloe friends have been working closely with the children in the Mint group via Zoom, note making, videos and photographs. A few months ago, the Mints began growing sunflower seeds. With the Aloes, they have been exploring and testing different methods to support the sunflowers to grow. This past Saturday, April 17th, the Mints and their families transplanted the sunflowers into our community garden. The East Wing children made sure the school and community garden were ready to welcome their friends.
Amy: How are we going to welcome the Mints? They are coming this Saturday.
Presley: We can make a sign for them.
Uma: It can say, “Welcome Mints. We are excited for the sunflowers.”
After the Mints visited, we went to take a look at the sunflowers.
Presley: Oh, wow. They look so beautiful and healthy.
Chloe: Let’s see how big they are. Oh look at this one. The leaves are so big.
Dylan: Chloe, look! Leafy Kevin is 7 inches and that one is Mickey Mouse and it’s also 7 inches!
Colin: Can we water them?
Adriana: How does the soil feel? Do you think they need water?
Presley: No. It’s a little wet.
Adriana: And remember what Levi said to us at meeting time?
All children: Oh, yes. If we add too much water that can kill them. They will die if we add too much water.
After the Mints visited the school, Margaret (mom to Elliot F., Mint) created a video that documented their process of transplanting the plants. We shared this video with the children in the Basil group and explained how the Mints had been growing the sunflower plants for 57 days. Once we reviewed the video, we talked about what the children noticed.
Mars: I remember those symbols (signs in front of sunflowers).
Keaton: I remember one is called Mickey Mouse.
Tallulah: Me and Vanessa went into the community garden and saw the flowers.
Everly: Did the sunflowers have petals on them?
Tallulah: There are no little pods. They are still growing. The plants were so new. Some of them were tall and some were short.
Cynthia: I wonder what we can do to help these sunflowers continue to grow.
Elliot S.: We can help them. Every day my papa waters the plants to keep them shiny.
Rufus: We can’t water them every day.
Jack: They will die if we water them every day.
Asher: If the water goes over them, they will die. Avocados need lots of water, so you can give them water every day.
Cynthia: How could we find out how much water they may need?
Tallulah: We could ask Jen and the children.
Elliot S.: We can send them text messages of how well they are doing!
We also want to say, “thank you Mint families for the organic fruit popsicles you left for us and the beautiful treasure hunt. We definitely feel the love!”
Through digital technology, the children at NSW have been able to sustain and build relationships with the children in the Mint group. The experience of working alongside the Mints as they nurtured the sunflower seeds created a sense of mutual care and investment. When the Mints transplanted to our community garden, a context was created for the children in the Aloe and Basil groups to develop a deeper relationship with the plants and the children who planted them. Reading the sunflowers’ identity panels not only gave us a window into the plant, but also a window into the child who cared for it. Now that the plants are in the community garden, the children recognize their responsibility to continue the cycle of care and hope to share the sunflowers’ progress with the children in the Mint group.