Sippican School to participate in ecological literacy program with local non-profit for second year

MARION — Old Rochester Regional School District announced Thursday, Sept. 19 that Sippican Elementary School partnered for the second year in a row with the non-profit organization Marion Institute for an ecological literacy program.

The Marion Institute’s Grow Education Farm-to-School works in schools “to build a more equitable food system that promotes ecological literacy, health and sustainability,” an Old Rochester news release said.

The program will be offered at Sippican School for another year, after “students and staff enjoyed the first year,” Superintendent Michael Nelson said.

The health and sustainability programming contains outdoor activities and “a curriculum that directly correlates with classroom lessons and professional development for staff members,” according to the release.

Grow Education Farm-to-School this year will also “reinforce the importance of nutrition, healthy eating and living habits more intensely,” the release said.

Part of the program in its first year included outdoor lessons for third grade students at a Sippican School garden. It also featured “virtual field trips,” guest speakers, a butterfly study, spring planting and harvest and planting workshops.

“Students learned about science while beautifying their school by planting a variety of fast growing crops in Sippican’s newly-built raised gardening beds,” the release said. “They learned how the sun and soil work together to produce an environment conducive for plants to grow and thrive.”

During the second year of the program, the Marion Institute partnered AmeriCorps to place a member of nonprofit FoodCorps in the school twice a week at least to oversee lessons, according to the release.

The garden at Sippican School was the first garden within the Grow Education Farm-to-School program, according to Liz Wiley, executive director of the Marion Institute.

More than 20 elementary schools participate in the program, according to the release.