The Deerfield School was recently the recipient of a $1000 grant from the Massachusetts Agricultural in the Classroom (MAC) mini-grant program. The grant was awarded specifically to two projects conceptualized by Jennie Goosen, master gardener and a Deerfield parent.
One of the projects that is currently being implemented, the Three Sisters Garden project, ties directly to the second-grade social science curriculum. Students learn about the agricultural practices of the Wampanoag tribes and why they planted the "three sisters" (corn, squash and beans) together to reap the benefits of a planting system. The children's in-class knowledge is then applied in the Outdoor Classroom, adjacent to the school, as they plant these crops and monitor their growth.
The project and Outdoor Classroom were made possible with support and encouragement from the Deerfield PTO, teachers and Principal Joshua Baumer.
