Fall was in the air at Yennadon Elementary Annex after the front garden was transformed into a pumpkin patch this week.
More than 100 of the orange gourds were placed around the property and primary students got a chance to choose one of their very own to take home.
“We are trying to bring the pumpkin patch to our school,” said Pam Linde, a Kindergarten/Grade 1 teacher at the annex. “They get to pick their own pumpkins and we do lots of pumpkin activities.”
While choosing a pumpkin is a lot of fun, Linde said it also presents a learning opportunity.
One pumpkin is chosen for the classroom and carved up by a teacher, giving the students a chance to see the pulp and seeds, which are planted back in the garden. The kids also get to measure and weigh their gourd, and find out if it sinks or floats.
“There is a huge learning component,” Linde said. “We talk a lot about the lifecycles of pumpkins. All our artwork right now is drawing, painting, and creating things that are all pumpkin.”
In past years, classes would visit Laity Pumpkin Patch, said Yennadon Annex kindergarten teacher Michelle Ludeman, which was often the first field trip of the year for primary students. But when the pandemic began and field trips were curtailed, she said she called the farm and found a way to bring the pumpkin patch to their school.
“This has always been the first trip of our kindergarten year,” she said. “Students have always been so excited by this adventure.”
Yennadon was not the only school to have a pop-up pumpkin patch this fall.
More than 400 pumpkins, several farm animals and a hot beverages were served up to students at Hammond Elementary earlier this month.
“Every student who wanted a pumpkin received one free of charge courtesy of our wonderful PAC,” said Wes Reamsbottom, the principal of Hammon Elementary. “We also had three llamas and finally finished off with a hot chocolate station to warm the students up in the rain. It was a wonderful day at Hammond.”
Students at Davie Jone Elementary also got a chance to pickup a pumpkin this week, when their school held its pumpkin patch.
c̓əsqənelə Elementary also held a pumpkin patch, which featured hay bales and scarecrows.
