Garden

Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School is blessed with a magical and expansive school garden full of fruits, vegetables, and life. All students come out once each week and spend 40 minutes in the garden. Students actively participate in all steps of growing food, from preparing the soil (the smell of manure!) to planting the seeds, watering and weeding the beds as they grow, and finally harvesting and eating the results.

Garden teacher Christian Strauli smiles for the camera

Christian Strauli (“Mr. C”)

We also conduct a large amount of ecology and biology lessons in the garden. Students learn about native plants, pollination, life cycles of garden insects, symbiotic relationships, and so much more. Finally, we engage in artistic exploration in the garden: sketching plants or creating ephemeral art sculptures.

Did I mention we eat food? We eat a lot of different types of vegetables and fruit, and nothing is more beautiful than the positive peer pressure that happens when 15 of your child's friends are all talking about the delicious tomatoes they're eating.

Some of Our Favorite Activities

  • Two male students pose with his scarecrow in the garden

    Garden Scarecrows

  • Two students and a parent volunteer spin honey

    Honey Spinning

  • Young students wash fruit from the garden in the garden sink

    Garden Work Parties

  • Two female students making salsa with vegetables from the school garden

    Making Salads, Salsa & Smoothies!