Kitchen Garden program

We have had the privilege of being involved in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at Aldinga Beach Primary School since 2011. All students from the primary years group (Years 3-6) take part in fortnightly gardening and cooking lessons with their class, under the guidance of Kitchen Garden Specialists and the supervision of their teacher.

The overall aim is to develop an enduring appreciation for fresh, tasty, seasonal and home grown produce and some lifelong, useful skills in the garden and the kitchen. This program has a multitude of connections to the wider curriculum taught in classrooms and teachers liaise with Specialist Kitchen Garden staff to plan for cross curricular learning opportunities across the year.

During the garden lessons we GROW and HARVEST. Students will engage in activities such as watering, weeding, planting, seed collection and propagation, garden construction, worm farming, compost making, mulching and of course harvesting.

In the kitchen, we PREPARE and SHARE. Students are taught to prepare what they have grown, learning about kitchen safety and hygiene, teamwork, various cooking techniques and hot/cold food preparation. Students are encouraged to taste their dishes at a set table together and enjoy the gift of sharing community.