It was a balmy Saturday morning in March when the Launch Learning families arrived
early dressed in sun hats and bearing gifts of flowers, herbs, trees, earthworms,
gardening soil and lumber. Young children and their families participated in the
community garden day that would transform part of the playground into a dynamic
sensory and STEM interactive area. As the sun rose in the clear, blue sky, hardworking
hands tilled and leveled the side of the untouched play space for two raised garden
beds. The work was hard, sweaty and of course, dirty, but the satisfaction of a “job
well-done” was enough to keep everyone busy.
The raised garden beds were built, the weed-guard stapled into place, garden soil
poured and mixed, and finally the vegetables, herbs and flowers were carefully tucked
into their new homes. Everyone played an important role, and there was a sense of
enormous satisfaction as the playground was transformed into a “phase one” for
gardening and growth.
Now, just a few weeks later, the children and staff watch as tomatoes ripen and flowers
bloom. Watering the baby trees and growing vegetables has become an active part of
the sensory-rich curriculum that includes digging in the dirt, observing the earthworms
make their way through the rich soil, and tasting the “fruits of their labor” by sampling
the ripe tomatoes. Every day there is something new to see or do, and the Launch
Learning team is so grateful for the hard work and generosity of the school families and
Merritt Island community.
We want to give a shout-out to the Home Depot in Merritt Island for the majority of the
dirt and supplies, and for offering Launch Learning preschool assistance to help get our
garden program going. We are especially grateful for the families who donated much-
needed supplies like bricks and soil, seeds and plants, fertilizer and so much more.
Most of all, thank you for supporting our school garden program with our enthusiasm
and commitment. Every day we see our flowers blooming and garden growing, we feel
loved by our community and know that you are contributing to the Launch Learning
legacy.
