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Lee Gardens& Chicken Coop
where curiosity is cultivated
Russell Lee Elementary School, Austin Texas
Lee School Garden-Current Look As of April 10, 2021
GREETINGS FROM LEE GARDENS AND CHICKEN COOP
Greetings Fami-Lees!
This newsletter site is provided by Lee Gardens and Chicken Coop! We will be utilizing it to help us share information about them, to offer a pictorial tour of our Lee (School and Student) Gardens, Lee Chicken Coop, and nature-inspired activities students/teachers initiated.
There are many ways for families and students to get involved in our gardens and chicken coop at Lee. Please refer to the section below-How Can you help? The photos below offer an opportunity for students and families to see parts of our school gardens and chicken coop and the many dwellers residing there. You can use them to support your teaching and learning in subjects as diverse as Science, English Language Arts, Music, Art, and Math.
This website will be updated with content about Lee Gardens and chicken coop on an ongoing basis. We hope the text can answer some of your questions about our gardens and chicken coop operations at Lee.
P.S. Thank you for your ongoing support of Lee Gardens and Chicken Coop! Without it, these essential enrichment/experimental opportunities would not be possible for our students!
What is the story behind our Lee gardens and chicken coop?
Lee School Garden, Lee Raised-Bed Student Garden, Lee Wildflower Garden, Lee Youth Garden, Lee Chicken Coop, and Lee Rainwater Collection System started by many parents, students, families, teachers, and community members many years ago with the vision to transform under-utilized areas into innovative education tools for our students and teachers.
WHAT'S OUR LATEST GARDEN EXPANSION?
Our 4th grade teacher, Mr. Mclntyre, and his students planted the star-shaped garden full of native milkweeds and Texas native plants using a National Wildlife Federation Grant we received.
Here is the general opening event wall located in our main hallway created to educate all students about this new project. On the very top you'll see EXPLORE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION'S MONARCH HEROES PROGRAM AT LEE ELEMENTARY. On the wall, you'll see the almost 200 origami butterflies created to mimic the clusters of them in winter month in the mountains in Mexico. On the wall, you can also find interesting and useful information under RESOURCES.
The Journey North has begun! Monarch butterflies are beginning to make their way through Texas!
You may use the sheet below to help you conduct a milkweed hunt! You might learn more about what native milkweed looks like and why it is so important to the monarch butterfly as a host plant – serving as the sole source of food for hungry, hungry monarch caterpillars. If you send me a picture, I can upload it to this milkweed map.
Monarch First Sightings and Monarch Adult Sightings
Monarch Butterfly Annual Cycle
Monarch Migration
Eco Schools At Home: Scroll down to the Biodiversity option. This activity will help students outline a project they could conduct at home
What roles did the gardens and chicken coop play during school and after school? (Feb. 2019- before Covid-19 Pandemic)
-All students who enrolled in our Lee Onsite After Care program were offered the opportunity to visit the gardens and chicken coop with me at 5 p.m.
-The students in my group(3rd graders-now 4th graders) (4th, 5th, and 6th graders-now 5th graders and middle school students) were given the opportunity to water, mulch, plant, taste, weed, observe, ask questions, and, of course, to feed the chickens.
-In the past, Lee Onsite After-Care 3rd grade students-now 4th graders had harvested vegetables for our Lee Amigos.
-A little over one thirds of the Lee Onsite After-Care Students in 2019/2020 received a seedling to grow at home.
-All Lee Roadrunners were provided the opportunity in the Cafeteria to taste vegetables and herbs harvested from our Lee Gardens and Lee Student Raised-Bed Gardens during our Lee Cafeteria Sampling Event before Covid-19 Pandemic.
What roles do the gardens and chicken coop currently play during school hours since the onset of Covid-19?
-Gardens have provided fresh produce for families in need. Mr. Hewlett delivered items from our gardens along with many other essential items to families in need.
-Eggs collected were put in the Lee Pantry area by the Library for anyone.
-In 2019, eggs were auctioned at the Lee Live and families who won the bid received eggs.
-Now we hold Lee Chicken Coop Egg Drawing weekly. Every week, a faculty or staff member receives a dozen eggs from Lee Chicken Coop.
-Garden harvest this year went to faculty/staff who requested them. As always, Gardens are open to the public! All are welcome to harvest edibles responsibly at their own risk.
-Gardens and Chicken coop are open to all students and teachers during school hours! Classroom teachers and Essential Area teachers decide when it is best to integrate any TEKS-aligned lessons, enrichment activities into their daily, weekly or monthly lessons utilizing gardens and chicken coop.
-At the moment, Garden and Chicken Coop tour for students is available upon request and coordination with Classroom teachers and Essential Area teachers.
-Second Grade In-Person students are offered the opportunity to receive garden and chicken coop tours. They can plant and water vegetables, and feed, pet, and hold chickens almost every afternoon. Students were also offered a mint plant to take home and grow. Additionally, Second Grade In-person students and teachers released their butterflies (one of 2nd grade’s signature Science projects) into our Lee School Garden.
-This week (April 19-April 23), all in-person students are scheduled to have a Lee Gardens and Chicken Coop tour. They also have the opportunity to sow a seed in one of our gardens! Pictures are coming.
Why Lee gardens and chicken coop need your support and advocacy?
How can you help?
You do not need to be a Master Gardener. You do not need to have a green thumb. You do not need to be an expert on raising poultry. Whether you are all or none of the above, we could use your help to transform our Lee grounds (gardens and chicken coop). Our main efforts include several annual Roadie Workdays (coordinated by principal Mr. Hewlett), daily/weekly facilitation of students in learning about living things in the gardens and chicken coop, garden upkeep in spring break, summer break, or winter break, and chicken coop upkeep/tending.
Option 1: Roadie Workdays
Get information from Mr. Hewlett and show up.
Option 2: Daily/weekly facilitation of students in learning about living things in the gardens and chicken coop. Identification of plants is desired, especially vegetables. If you are interested in this volunteer position, please email me, dani.monahan@austinisd.org
Option 3: Garden upkeep in spring break, summer break, or winter break. Please email me for more information on how to help.
Option 4: Chicken coop upkeep/tending in spring break, summer break, or winter break
Please email me dani.monahan@austinisd.org for more information on how to help.
Option 5: None appeals to you? No problem.
You may refer to the Texas A&M AgriLife Vegetable Planting Guide to donate seedlings and seeds!
You may refer to the LBJ Wildflower Center website to donate Texas Native Plants.
You may also donate gift card from any plant nurseries such as the Natural Gardeners, the Great Outdoor, et cetera.
Upcoming Plant Sale: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Spring Plant Sale
- Weekends by reservation only April 2nd – May 30th
- https://www.wildflower.org/event/spring-native-plant-sale/2021-04-02
Wildflowers and Native grasses
LBJ Wildflower Center
Native and Adapted Landscape Plants from City of Austin Watershed Publication
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Garden Planting Guide
Facts your roadrunners might be interested in learning!
FACT 1: All students at Lee help feed the chickens!
How does that work? Our wonderful custodians and kitchen crew collect appropriate food for our chickens!
FACT 2: At Lee, we have an onsite compost area.
FACT 3: The gardens at Lee are open to the public. Students are welcome to visit and harvest responsibly and sustainably with an adult. Just do not pull the whole plant (carrots are an exception :) nor pull all the flowers. Save those for the insects and birds please! Most importantly, have fun and stay on the path!
FACT 4: Chickens are omnivores.
ENJOY SOME PHOTOS from 2019 Feb. to as of today!
Stay Tuned to photo updates. You might see photos of your child(ren)/teachers/youself.
Students bike to school at Lee!
Garden bed by our SPED classroom-Work in Progress
Lee Campus Compost coming soon!
Harvest What You Need!
Plants
eggplant
A roadrunner holding a hen!
April, 2021
In-person learners from Mrs. Clinchard's class!
Entire 4th grade students (in-person learners, and remote learners) and teachers-Ms. Jones, Ms. Cox, Mr. Derasmo, and Ms. Rolling)
Iris
Have you ever seen other color of Iris blossoms?
Happy Hens in April 10, 2021
Sunflower
This is last summer's picture. Our Sunflower right now is about more than centimeter tall.
"Second graders, do you remember learning about sunflower in your Science class a couple months ago with your teachers?"
Texas Bluebonnet
What do you know about bluebonnets?
Chicken
Bees on flowering mint
Headband of Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle
Material is from National Wildlife Federation
Rleasing butteflies into our Lee School Garden
Rleasing butteflies into our Lee School Garden
Look at those smiling eyes!
April, 2021
Rleasing butteflies into our Lee School Garden
Look at this elaborate structure students built!
This amazing structure was made by so many students from several grade levels at different recess times.
in 2021
Roadrunner
A 1st grader's not-yet-finished roller coaster/marble run
A part of 1st Grade's recycled Art+STEM Challenge!
So far, students created pirate ships, Space Lander, and Musical instruments.
2021
making a humming bird in 2021
Origami Fox
The creative 2nd graders in 2021!
Evening Primrose
Ladybugs on Fennel
What do you know about fennel?
Firewheel
Students learning how to hold a hen!
A student holding a hen!
A 4th grader releasing butterflies into our Lee School Garden!
Lee Monarch Butterfly Pollinator Garden
Planted and managed by our 4th Grade teacher, Mr.Mclntyre!
How many milkweed plants did they plant?
Marigold
2nd graders sowing corn
edible greens from Lee gardens
3rd grade Lee Onsite AfterCare in 2020
Lee School Garden in Feb. 2020
Holding and Releasing butteflies into our Lee School Garden!
Look at those smiling eyes!
4th grade in-person learners in April 2021
Work in Progress!
There are mints, sages, sunflower, and basil in this bed.
April, 2021
Holding a hen
After-care students signed up to receive cilantro plants 2020
Bluebonnet seedling
3rd graders in After-Care 2020
A roadrunner riding his bike on Lee Basketball Court
Lee Onsite After Care 4th Grade 2019
Lee Onsite After Care 4th Grade 2019
shrimp plant
2nd grade gardeners!
coiled waterhoes
Parsley
Kale, Spinach, and Lettuce Leaves
opossum at Lee!
Opossum is a special animal in North America. How special is it?
Colorful Texas Native Flowers!
Lee Chickens enjoying leftover from Cafeteria 2021
2nd Grade visiting Lee Chicken Coop
Lee Onsite 4th Grade After Care in 2019
A roadrunner holding a chicken!
for the 1st time!
April, 2021
Butterfly on cantaloupe
Holding a butterfly!
flowering radish plant
borage
Releasing Butterflies, 2021
Tomato
I wonder what color will this tomato plant produce?
Spinach
The spinach leave in our Lee School Garden is about 10 centimeter long!
Lee 2nd grader petting a hen!
Holding a hen!
2nd grade in-person learners from Ms. Fremuth's class in April, 2021
Holding a hen!
Purple Basil
Miss Potato the rabbit
earthworm
Why do we like earthworm in our gardens?
June Beetle
Cilantro
I wonder if you ever seen a flowering cilantro plant and a flowering parsley plant?
Mint
Releasing butterflies to our Lee School Garden!
April, 2021
4th Grade
Friday main course for our chickens!
Milkweed
Rosemary
What does the plant smell like?
Asparugus
Peas
Grub
one of the raised-bed student garden
Hen in wheelbarrow
Hens at Lee
What are some facts about chickens?
Praying Mantis
Lee student garden fall harvest
Grasshopper on blooming radish plant
Spider
Snail on Kale
Dandelion
CARROTS FROM STUDENT GARDEN
Can you name some root vegetables we serve in the Cafeteria?
Biodiversity Search on Lee Playground
The result shows that Lee has all of the animals listed on the sheet!
American Goldfinch on Scarlet Sage in Student Garden
Male: Black on top, yellow belly, white spots on tail.
Refer to American Audubon Society for more information on birds.
Conservationist
From Cafeteria leftover to Chicken Coop
Our Principal is in the Lee Chicken Coop!
A: "Mr. Hewlett is in the Lee Chicken Coop reading to the chickens!"
Shape caterpillar (rhombus, hexagon, and triangle)
What can you make using regular geometric blocks?
white yucca
predator and pray?
Ladybugs!
Chalk Artwrok
Green Outdoor Classroom
Lee Sports Club created by 2nd grade in-person students
Lee Onsite Compost Area
Roadie Workday before the Covid-19 Pandemic
Bags of garden edibles delivered to families by Mr. Hewlett
Tree Leaves, barks Identification
A creative student at recess
Monarch Butterfly Study with Ms. Wilborn last fall/winter
Nature Hunt/Play at Recess
Texas Fruit and Nut trees!
2nd graders sowing corn in Lee Student Garden
April 2021
2nd graders sowing summer sqaush in Lee Student Garden
Food web
Beetles!
Two friends enjoying peanuts from the Lee School Garden
Lee Student Garden
Lee Nature Club
See posters in our main hallway!
Lee 3rd Graders (now 4th graders) working in garden
Lee 3rd Graders (now 4th graders) visiting gardens
Lee 3rd grade aftercare students (now 4th graders)
Lee 4th grade after-care students (now 6th graders and middle school students)
Lee 4th grade after-care students (now 6th graders and middle school students)
Flax!
Have you seen anyone take flaxseed oil? This is what the plant looks like.
Caterpillars
Cucumber seedlings donated to Lee
Slug on a Sunflower Leaf
firefly
Does the word bioluminescent look familiar?
Eggs collected during Covid-19 Pandemic
Snooze supporting Lee
THANKS TO All FOR SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT!
Rock Rose
A roadrunner helping Gaga ball pit installation
Sweet potato vine
Foxgloves
Cucumber
2nd graders creation at Lee
Banner made by my After Care students and staff for Bettie Mann in 2019
braided yarn
Garden harvest for teachers 2021
Lee Football Field, April 2021
Thanks Mr.Hewlett and our custodians for watering them!
Books
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."-Dr. Seuss
Holding a chicken, April 2021!
(2nd grade visiting chicken coop)
April, 2021
Flowers along the fence
Zinnia!
Can you do a garden alphabet hunt?
Mrs. Clinchard's Class releasing butterflies into our Lee School Garden
Food Web& Food Chain
Colorwheel creation by a roadrunner
Food web creation by a Roadrunner!
Peanut plant
Have you ever seen a flowering peanut plant?
Red bud tree
Its flower is pink?
snapdrgon
Mrs. Clinhcard's class releasing butterflies into our Lee School Garden in April 2021
Creative teaching-immediate surrounding
Weather log
Voice exploration with our Music teacher Mr. Rincon
Art Created by Mrs. Clinchard's in-person students
Taking Learning outdoor!
A part of the creative money learning activities
Sweet potato harvest
Listening Walk by former music teacher, Julie Bistolfo utilizing things around Lee to teach Music! (March 30, 2020)
Campus gardens and on-campus food availability (March 24, 2020)
A little about me.
Hello everyone! I am Dani Monahan. My son Joseph is a first grader at Lee. Your children call me Mrs. Monahan. I started working at Lee in the winter of 2019 as a Child Care Worker (for 3rd grade, and then 4th, 5th, and 6th) and a Cafeteria Monitor.
I started tending the gardens (first 6 Raised-Bed Student Gardens and then expanded to Lee School Garden and Lee Wildflower Garden) and chicken coop in November 2019.
Many of the students who enrolled in Lee onsite After-Care Program know me and might enjoyed the opportunity to fold origami with me, to receive a plant to grow, to taste an edible, to visit the chicken coop, and to participate in gardening. Additionally, Lee Student Council also participated in touring the gardens and Chicken Coop with me.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, my roles at Lee expanded to support teachers (and students) during their presence and sometimes when they are absent. I am forever grateful for the privilege and honor to work with our 2nd grade teachers and students!
As part of supporting them, the 2nd grade in-person students get to work in the gardens with me almost every afternoon and visit the chicken coop. They also were offered a seedling to take home to grow.
Lee Gardens & Chicken Coop: A Work in Progress
A special thank you to Rosemary Stewart and Ramsey for tending our gardens during summer break!
Dave and family, thank you for all the hens you donated to Lee and all the support you offered to us over the years!
Brad Price, chickens would not be able to return to our Lee Chicken Coop without your proactiveness! We say THANK YOU on behalf of the chickens.
Jillian DeLaTorre Copeland and her family, thank you so much for your pallets donation to build our Lee Compost and the beautiful fig tree! Students will be very excited to learn this new fruit tree addition!
Lee School Garden in December, 2019
Lee School Garden in January, 2021
Lee School Garden in April, 2021
2021 Earth Day-May 5/Earth Week Celebration at Russell Lee Elementary School
Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 2021
Earth Week: Monday, April 12 to Friday, April 23, 2021
At Russell Lee Elementary School, we celebrate Earth Day each and every day.
Below is a small list of activities we will be doing at Russell Lee Elementary School which resemble the love we have for our Earth! Some activities are already in progress/ in session and are offered each and every day to students because we love our Earth at Russell Lee Elementary School.
1. Lee 2021 Olympics activities put together by our P.E. teacher Alyssa Rangel.
2. Fitness Friday message through Morning Announcement by P.E. teacher Alyssa Rangel.
3. All students are offered the opportunity to our garden and chicken coop tour during Earth Day Week and everyday at Russell Lee Elementary School.
4. All students will be provided the opportunity to plant an edible in our gardens during our Earth Day/Week.
5. Our Librarian Jenny Day, Art teacher Elisabeth Wilborn, and classroom teachers will all have specific projects for students to do in anticipation of Earth Day and Earth Week celebration.
6. Bike or Walk to School Day on May 5th and EVERYDAY at Lee Elementary. See Flyer below. If you are a remote learner, you'd like to participate. You may walk or bike to some where with your guardians any time and anywhere. Please email photos or videos to dani.monahan@austinsid.org.
7. Earth Week activities from Austin ISD Sustainability department . See link below. Please email photos or videos to dani.monahan@austinsid.org.
8. Fourth and Second grades raised and released their butterflies into our Lee School Garden and Lee Student Garden for the 2nd time this year in March and April.
9. At Lee, we have a reuse, recycle, repurpose/renew station. Also, we have an onsite compost area and a rain water collection system.
Bike or Walk to School Day-May 5, 2021/everyday at Russell Lee Elementary School
Stay tuned to Bike Safety and Biking Lessons in May from our fabulous Coach Rangel!
Lee 2021 Bicycle Skills Challenge-Check Your Understanding Survey
MAY 6th Webinar-Bicycling With Butterflies
May 6th Webinar – Bicycling with Butterflies webinar event – In 2017, Sara Dykman became the first person to bicycle the entire route of the migrating monarch butterfly. Sara’s journey took her from Mexico to Canada and back, accompanied only by her old mountain bike weighed down with all the supplies she would need for nine months on the road and the fleets of monarchs flying above…. Join this webinar to hear her story and learn about the launch of her book, Bicycling with Butterflies!