Students and staff at St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic School got their hands dirty this week as they created a community garden at the Bradford school.
A school-wide tree planting event helped kick off Catholic Education Week at the school thanks, in part, to the help of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, who donated the trees.
"It was so special to work alongside our students to create this garden," said principal Jennifer Jeffries. "I hope they will care for it for generations to come, as this is their legacy."
The students enjoyed using shovels to dig into their schoolyard and plant a variety of shrubs, said Jeffries.
"I found all the students were curious about what they may find when they dug down. They discovered rocks, worms, and root systems underneath the soil in our schoolyard that they didn’t expect," said Jeffries.
"It’s important to provide students with opportunities where they try something new; work as a team and have ownership over something. I know our SJB students will protect these seedlings and nourish their growth. We may even have a few gardeners in our midst," said Jeffries.
Hayley Williamson, a member of the Chippewas Of Georgina Island First Nation, came to do a blessing of the trees, many of which were cedars, at the outdoor ceremony.
"Cedar is one of our four sacred medicines (cedar, tobacco, sage sweeetgrass)," said Williamson. "Cedar is a protection medicine and has many health benefits."
Students offered up their blessings as part of a smudging ceremony and Williamson then presented a drumming song to accompany the prayers.
Jeffries said she was thankful to the Hennigar family for putting her in contact with the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority and its funding program.
"We’re grateful to receive the community action restoration funding," said Jeffries. "I hope students learned more about soil and water conservation and maintaining our natural surroundings.
"Having Hayley Williamson here to teach about the many uses of ceder and cultural significance was very special," said Jeffries.