Spring Nature & Gardening @ United/PS 305!
After-School Nature and Gardening at 305/A&L United - OUTDOORS THURSDAYS!
Registration is now Open.
Registration is now Open.
Brooklyn Seeds on Thursdays!
United kids will plant and take home edible plants, learn about and observe live ants, learn about the fascinating behavior of our local crows, make tea from our local Linden trees and learn about the history, use and harm of plastic! Kids will learn to identify mason bees and plant delicious edibles in the school garden! We also partner with senior citizens in the neighborhood to care for our precious local trees and plant for our local wildlife! We explore nature in Hattie Carthan Garden, the school garden and Von King Park! This class is for kids who love dirt!
We intend to be outdoors as much and as often as possible, including drizzly, windy, and hot days. When there is inclement weather or there are unprecedented events (safety issues, thunderstorms, heavy snowstorms, really aggressive crow behavior), we will be gardening indoors in a United classroom.
We have maintained a scholarship fund for almost 25% of gardening students at United. We can only do that if you give! No explanation is needed if you can't afford the class. All you have to do is choose the scholarship option on the website. and then send us an email to make sure we have space.
GRADES: K - 5
Older kids will have more challenging activities and will have more choices to work independently. Friends, classroom buddies, siblings and similar age groups can work/play/explore together if indicated on the registration form.
Spring Nature and Gardening:
10 Thursdays:
2:40PM - 5:20PM
April 4, 11, 18,
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
June 13, 20
Price includes cost of nature supplies, including binoculars, monoculars, magnifying glasses, and art supplies.
Monarchs: 2:40 - 4:00pm nature and gardening class $480
Warblers: 4:05 - 5:20pm nature and gardening class $480 For kids coming from chess, Kids Orbit, etc...
Hawks: 2:40 - 5:20pm (both nature/gardening & choice time/movement & choice of nature comic books) $960
Scholarship: $0-$480 cost per child for families who need extra love. No explanation needed, but registration form must still be filled out and an email to ensure we still have the space for your child.
Kids will also have the option of gardening, going on a nature walk and/or going to Von King Park. But everyone will return to school in time for pickup. Please understand that because kids are kids, we are sometimes LATE returning to school. If that’s the case, feel free to email or call and tell us if we have to run your child back earlier so you can get to where you're going on time! If you tell us a day in advance, we can also tell you where we are in the park or in the neighborhood (if we're working on trees), in case it's easier for you to pick up there. Please note pickup is at 5:20, not 5:30. But if you're running late, just email or call. It often takes us 20 minutes to clean up. Hawks get more choices because the are there the longest. Hawks will also get a chance to work with Reshad on nature comic books.
DISMISSAL:
Garden entrance on Madison unless it's raining hard, in which case dismissal will be at school entrance on Monroe.
SCHOOL CLOSURES!
We do NOT have classes when public schools are closed. This includes school holidays, snow days, half days, etc...
WHAT TO WEAR:
All kids must wear comfortable shoes which allow them to run, hop, climb, skip and moon walk. NO SANDALS. Kids often step on other kids' toes, sometimes accidentally. It can be painful. Also, no fancy outfits because they will absolutely destroy them when they jump into that mud or rain puddle, which is often really funny for us. So please dress for easy and comfortable outdoor movement on Thursdays, and expect them to get very dirty. If your child absolutely loves mud, it may be good to pack an extra shirt or shorts. Comfort is also crucial because we will sometimes run or skip or hop or walk long distances as we learn about flora and fauna in Brooklyn.
HAPPY KIDS WHO AREN'T BOSSED AROUND GROW UP TO CHANGE THE WORLD (Our philosophy. A bit judgy, but must read.)
We practice compassionate communication and incorporate social-emotional learning into fun nature classes. We find fun and gentle ways to communicate to kids about nature while giving them time and space to express their needs, whether it’s frustration about something that happened during the school day or sharing a meaningful experience with the group. We also give them choices. We encourage kids to question authority, to question the powerful (grownups), to question decision-makers, to question conventional wisdom and to never accept intimidation or "because I said so" as good answers. The only time we don't give kids a choice is when it comes to safety rules, like crossing the street, etc... But asking questions and questioning authority is a SUPERPOWER.
Kids who are taught to question authority grow up to be adults who question conventional wisdom- adults who speak up when plants, animals, people and neighborhoods are destroyed for profit or gentrification or highways or greed or the expansion of a hospital or university or a state or whatever. When your child questions you or us, it can sometimes feel like they're being disrespectful. Let them question all of us so they know it's safe to do so, so they can exercise that part of their brain and their heart. If they can't ask you or us, who can they ask? As long as they do no harm to themselves or others, these questions are a sign of a healthy child. It's not easy because it means we're always explaining, but it allows them to accept what we say or explore or research different options. These kids will grow up to be compassionate social justice leaders who speak up when others are silent about racism, war, the prison industrial complex, unfair pay or the gentrification in their neighborhood.
NO HANGRY KIDS and NO PLASTICS
Please pack a full metal water bottle and 2 -10 snacks because your adorables sometimes eat their snacks during lunch, EVERY single one of them, or trade them or lose them. But they often disappear to the same place where socks and mittens go. If possible, please do not pack plastic water bottles. If you need a metal water bottle, we will get one for your child if you tell us in advance. Plastic takes HUNDREDS of years to decompose, causing irreparable harm to our planet, to many animals, to people's health, and to the future of all of our children and grandchildren. We often talk about the many harms of plastic in our nature classes and you can see the pain in kids' faces as we talk about the plastics as they stare at single use plastics sitting in their lunch bags. Kids take this very very seriously. So do we. Please find an alternative to single-use plastics so we're not also filling the garden with these harmful plastics that can never ever be reused. Also, if you'd like the full guilt trip, and want to not sleep for a few nights, watch "The Story of Plastic." You will never see plastic the same way again. And hopefully it will have the same effect on you that it had on us.
EQUITY:
Equity requires effort. We cannot afford to give gardening scholarships without your help. Here’s how you can help:
Cost to pay for your child as a Monarchs and support another Monarch family: $700
Cost for your child as a Monarch AND another child to attend free as a Monarch: $960
Scholarship $0-$480 cost per child for families who need extra support. No explanation needed.
In last year's program, more than 25% of our gardeners paid nothing. Thank you to the incredibly generous families who made this possible.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Scholarships are not guaranteed unless you get a confirmation email from us. And please remember, if there is limited space, we want to give new families a chance to apply for a scholarship if they haven't received one in the past. But we will do everything we can to make sure kids who love nature will get to experience nature.
Registration Options for United students:
United students have two After-School Nature and Gardening choices:
1) In the United school garden on Thursdays. Dismissal is at the United school garden.
Click Here for Thursdays in the school garden option.
OR
2) Prospect Park nature option on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Choose the Prospect Park option where we pick students up from the bus stop at Sterling and Underhill or you can drop your child off to Grand Army Plaza.
Click here for United in Prospect Park option.
You can also click on one of the large registration links below to sign up for Thursdays or Prospect Park!
United kids will plant and take home edible plants, learn about and observe live ants, learn about the fascinating behavior of our local crows, make tea from our local Linden trees and learn about the history, use and harm of plastic! Kids will learn to identify mason bees and plant delicious edibles in the school garden! We also partner with senior citizens in the neighborhood to care for our precious local trees and plant for our local wildlife! We explore nature in Hattie Carthan Garden, the school garden and Von King Park! This class is for kids who love dirt!
We intend to be outdoors as much and as often as possible, including drizzly, windy, and hot days. When there is inclement weather or there are unprecedented events (safety issues, thunderstorms, heavy snowstorms, really aggressive crow behavior), we will be gardening indoors in a United classroom.
We have maintained a scholarship fund for almost 25% of gardening students at United. We can only do that if you give! No explanation is needed if you can't afford the class. All you have to do is choose the scholarship option on the website. and then send us an email to make sure we have space.
GRADES: K - 5
Older kids will have more challenging activities and will have more choices to work independently. Friends, classroom buddies, siblings and similar age groups can work/play/explore together if indicated on the registration form.
Spring Nature and Gardening:
10 Thursdays:
2:40PM - 5:20PM
April 4, 11, 18,
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
June 13, 20
Price includes cost of nature supplies, including binoculars, monoculars, magnifying glasses, and art supplies.
Monarchs: 2:40 - 4:00pm nature and gardening class $480
Warblers: 4:05 - 5:20pm nature and gardening class $480 For kids coming from chess, Kids Orbit, etc...
Hawks: 2:40 - 5:20pm (both nature/gardening & choice time/movement & choice of nature comic books) $960
Scholarship: $0-$480 cost per child for families who need extra love. No explanation needed, but registration form must still be filled out and an email to ensure we still have the space for your child.
Kids will also have the option of gardening, going on a nature walk and/or going to Von King Park. But everyone will return to school in time for pickup. Please understand that because kids are kids, we are sometimes LATE returning to school. If that’s the case, feel free to email or call and tell us if we have to run your child back earlier so you can get to where you're going on time! If you tell us a day in advance, we can also tell you where we are in the park or in the neighborhood (if we're working on trees), in case it's easier for you to pick up there. Please note pickup is at 5:20, not 5:30. But if you're running late, just email or call. It often takes us 20 minutes to clean up. Hawks get more choices because the are there the longest. Hawks will also get a chance to work with Reshad on nature comic books.
DISMISSAL:
Garden entrance on Madison unless it's raining hard, in which case dismissal will be at school entrance on Monroe.
SCHOOL CLOSURES!
We do NOT have classes when public schools are closed. This includes school holidays, snow days, half days, etc...
WHAT TO WEAR:
All kids must wear comfortable shoes which allow them to run, hop, climb, skip and moon walk. NO SANDALS. Kids often step on other kids' toes, sometimes accidentally. It can be painful. Also, no fancy outfits because they will absolutely destroy them when they jump into that mud or rain puddle, which is often really funny for us. So please dress for easy and comfortable outdoor movement on Thursdays, and expect them to get very dirty. If your child absolutely loves mud, it may be good to pack an extra shirt or shorts. Comfort is also crucial because we will sometimes run or skip or hop or walk long distances as we learn about flora and fauna in Brooklyn.
HAPPY KIDS WHO AREN'T BOSSED AROUND GROW UP TO CHANGE THE WORLD (Our philosophy. A bit judgy, but must read.)
We practice compassionate communication and incorporate social-emotional learning into fun nature classes. We find fun and gentle ways to communicate to kids about nature while giving them time and space to express their needs, whether it’s frustration about something that happened during the school day or sharing a meaningful experience with the group. We also give them choices. We encourage kids to question authority, to question the powerful (grownups), to question decision-makers, to question conventional wisdom and to never accept intimidation or "because I said so" as good answers. The only time we don't give kids a choice is when it comes to safety rules, like crossing the street, etc... But asking questions and questioning authority is a SUPERPOWER.
Kids who are taught to question authority grow up to be adults who question conventional wisdom- adults who speak up when plants, animals, people and neighborhoods are destroyed for profit or gentrification or highways or greed or the expansion of a hospital or university or a state or whatever. When your child questions you or us, it can sometimes feel like they're being disrespectful. Let them question all of us so they know it's safe to do so, so they can exercise that part of their brain and their heart. If they can't ask you or us, who can they ask? As long as they do no harm to themselves or others, these questions are a sign of a healthy child. It's not easy because it means we're always explaining, but it allows them to accept what we say or explore or research different options. These kids will grow up to be compassionate social justice leaders who speak up when others are silent about racism, war, the prison industrial complex, unfair pay or the gentrification in their neighborhood.
NO HANGRY KIDS and NO PLASTICS
Please pack a full metal water bottle and 2 -10 snacks because your adorables sometimes eat their snacks during lunch, EVERY single one of them, or trade them or lose them. But they often disappear to the same place where socks and mittens go. If possible, please do not pack plastic water bottles. If you need a metal water bottle, we will get one for your child if you tell us in advance. Plastic takes HUNDREDS of years to decompose, causing irreparable harm to our planet, to many animals, to people's health, and to the future of all of our children and grandchildren. We often talk about the many harms of plastic in our nature classes and you can see the pain in kids' faces as we talk about the plastics as they stare at single use plastics sitting in their lunch bags. Kids take this very very seriously. So do we. Please find an alternative to single-use plastics so we're not also filling the garden with these harmful plastics that can never ever be reused. Also, if you'd like the full guilt trip, and want to not sleep for a few nights, watch "The Story of Plastic." You will never see plastic the same way again. And hopefully it will have the same effect on you that it had on us.
EQUITY:
Equity requires effort. We cannot afford to give gardening scholarships without your help. Here’s how you can help:
Cost to pay for your child as a Monarchs and support another Monarch family: $700
Cost for your child as a Monarch AND another child to attend free as a Monarch: $960
Scholarship $0-$480 cost per child for families who need extra support. No explanation needed.
In last year's program, more than 25% of our gardeners paid nothing. Thank you to the incredibly generous families who made this possible.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
Scholarships are not guaranteed unless you get a confirmation email from us. And please remember, if there is limited space, we want to give new families a chance to apply for a scholarship if they haven't received one in the past. But we will do everything we can to make sure kids who love nature will get to experience nature.
Registration Options for United students:
United students have two After-School Nature and Gardening choices:
1) In the United school garden on Thursdays. Dismissal is at the United school garden.
Click Here for Thursdays in the school garden option.
OR
2) Prospect Park nature option on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Choose the Prospect Park option where we pick students up from the bus stop at Sterling and Underhill or you can drop your child off to Grand Army Plaza.
Click here for United in Prospect Park option.
You can also click on one of the large registration links below to sign up for Thursdays or Prospect Park!
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
See payment options below: Venmo or Zelle or Check or Credit Card
Venmo -- www.venmo.com/Brooklyn_Seeds
Zelle -- Zelle Brooklyn Seeds using mobile phone number 646-302-3149. https://www.zellepay.com/
Check -- Check made out to Brooklyn Seeds.
Mail to Brooklyn Seeds. 127 Avenue C. #2, Brooklyn, NY 11218.
Credit Card -- Click for all the Credit Card payment options for United in School Garden
Credit Card -- Click for all the Credit Card payment options for United in Prospect Park
When making payments on all platforms, please note your child's first and last name, school and season-Spring 2023.
Would you like to support other economically struggling families? Please give what you can and we will apply it to scholarships. Over 25% of our kids receive scholarships, so any additional amount will help!
If you have any problems, please email [email protected] or text 646-302-3149. Please always text first.
Brooklynseeds.net
[email protected]
646-302-3149
