What happened when a school community rolled up its sleeves, dug into the dirt, and decided to grow something together? At St. Augustine School, it sparked a year-long journey of learning, sustainability, and connection. The Growing Together initiative transformed classrooms into greenhouses, students into biologists, and learning into something they could hold in their hands and plant in the ground.
Inspired by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s challenge to plant one million trees across Ottawa, the project invited students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 to explore the natural world in hands-on, meaningful ways. Along the way, they discovered not just how plants grow, but how they could grow into responsible citizens, curious learners, and thoughtful caretakers of the Earth.
Sowing the First Steps
The project began with students exploring the school grounds and nearby parks to collect seeds. After sorting and drying them, each class participated in a hands-on lesson about how seeds grow. They learned that many tree seeds needed a process called stratification, a period of cold, moist conditions that mimicked winter, to help them sprout.
Every student planted at least one seed, and the containers were stored in a chilly space known affectionately as “The Old Milk Fridge” to recreate winter-like conditions.
As the seeds quietly began their transformation beneath the soil, so did the students, who learned lessons about patience, care, and responsibility.
Cultivating Cross-Curricular Learning
In the new year, the initiative expanded. Selected students began growing lavender and wildflowers in a vertical garden tower. Soon after, each class, supported by their teacher, cultivated fruits, vegetables, or flowers in pots. These plants were later gifted to families during Catholic Education Week or Mother’s Day, bringing learning home in a meaningful way.
Experiential learning also took root in the Grades 4 and 5 classrooms. With support from Experiential Learning Consultant Carrie Clancy and in partnership with Box of Life, students created a vermicomposting station. They learned how food waste could be transformed into nutrient-rich soil by live worms. The compost they produced was shared across classrooms to support the growth of other plants.
The culminating experience was a trip to Ferguson Tree Nursery in Kemptville. Students rotated through six interactive stations focused on seed extraction, native species, and the environmental impact of trees. Each student returned home with a pine sapling, collectively adding more than 270 trees to the local community.
By mid-May, many of the seeds planted in January had begun to sprout. These student-grown saplings were thriving in classrooms, cared for daily until they were ready to go home for the summer.
Deep Learning in Action
The Growing Together initiative was a powerful example of Deep Learning in action at St. Augustine School and across the OCSB. It supported the development of global competencies that were foundational in all schools:
- Citizenship: Students took action to care for the Earth and contribute to their community.
- Character: Students developed perseverance, patience, and a willingness to nurture life.
- Communication: Students shared ideas, plans, and stories about their planting.
- Critical Thinking: Students engaged in scientific inquiry and solved plant growth challenges.
- Collaboration: Students worked together and partnered with community organizations.
- Creativity: Students envisioned and built gardens of all kinds.
Through learning partnerships, hands-on teaching, and meaningful exploration, Growing Together reflected the OCSB’s commitment to preparing students for the future. The initiative encouraged lifelong skills grounded in care, stewardship, and curiosity.
As the school year ended and students brought their saplings home, they carried more than just plants. They carried pride, purpose, and the roots of lifelong learning.
