Occupational Therapy Tools for Public Schools

Sometimes words are not enough

2009-12-14T11:39:00.004-05:00

Lately, I've been adding photos to my observation and evaluation reports, to better provide the families and school staff with a clear explanation of a student's current skills and progress over time. You sure don't want to have to explain hyperextension of the DIP or what thumb wrap entails in 25 words or less.

Having the photos on hand also helps when it comes time to create handouts for parents and school personnel. Remember to edit out faces and names to ensure the privacy of your students.

Here are some recent photos taken in a class for 3-5 year olds--I'll leave the nomenclature to you...

Sparkly fun

2009-12-11T15:01:00.010-05:00

Who knew the student artwork would turn out so beautiful? These quilled ornaments were created by middle school students in a classroom for students with moderate intellectual disabilities. Some of them rolled the paper strips easily and some needed a little assistance. The finished product is gorgeous and proudly displayed near the school office.

Here's another idea for a fine motor activity for elementary students--use up that wild holiday paper or magazine cover by having the students dot-dot-dot individual letters, then use a handheld hole punch to forge a see-through trail outlining their letter.

Crack the Code

2009-12-10T15:46:00.002-05:00

Here's my buddy, Lauren, again with another of her amazing ideas for helping kids in school:

Attached are pics of a fun handwriting activity I did with one of my 1st grade students. I gave the teacher several copies of the activity & she is going to put it at one of her “handwriting centers” for all the kids in the class to use.

My ever so creative name for the activity is “Crack the Code”. Here’s how it works:
I put an alphabet code at the top of the page.
Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding number ~ for example, letter A is 5, letter B is 14, etc.
Below the code I came up with some Christmas theme words (you could use whatever theme you want).
For each letter of the word I put a line on the handwriting paper.
Under each line I put the number “code” for the letter that I want the student to write on the line (ie. for “a” I would write a 5 under the line because that is the # code for letter “a”).
The student must then “crack the code” by filling in each letter based on the # written below the line.

For students working on correct letter size within writing lines, I use handwriting paper corresponding to the student’s grade or developmental level.

For students who are just working on letter formation & who are not yet focusing on handwriting lines, I use rectangle boxes as place markers for where to put each letter & base the size of the rectangle on the students motor skill level.

I sometimes place the activity in page protectors, for novelty & so that it can be re-used. Other times I will use paper/pencil.

Not the mall parking spots

2009-12-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

A smart third-grader has visual needs which require many accommodations at school. His equally-smart OT created this sturdy pull-out drawer for him to more easily locate the many books, composition books, workbooks, subject folders and other papers necessary for daily life in the classroom. In one photo you'll see the "parking spots" with attached pouches containing crayons and other needed manipulatives. I noticed that using black Velcro instead of the usual vanilla variety made the empty parking spots less noticeable since they blended into the color of the desk. For some students it would have been a good visual cue to use a contrasting color of Velcro, but this student can find the pouches easily and sure doesn't want to draw any further attention to himself.

Rather than suggesting specialized software to enlarge the font on the computer, we're suggesting he uses a Large bold font in Microsoft Word for now. This way, he'll be familiar with using the easily-accessible tools available on all school computers and also at home. Since the lengthy writing demands are not frequent in 3rd grade, we'll save the big gun software for a little later down the academic road.

Can I have Triwall with that?

2009-12-06T20:00:00.003-05:00

Our Sunday newspaper included an article entitled, "Be More Productive," by Alexandra Levit of the WSJ. WSJ.com/Careers She had some interesting quotes from Kevin Purdy, an editor at Lifehacker.com, so I checked it out. The website is an OT's dream come true!
Just for fun, peruse the site for all the low and high tech ideas--some pretty quirky--about work, home and life in general. One set of ideas, which should be near and dear to our OT hearts, can be found via this link: http://lifehacker.com/5256514/top-10-cheap-but-great-cardboard-creations

Typing Resources--FREE!!!

2009-12-02T16:20:00.003-05:00

My good OT buddy, Lauren Swedenborg, compiled this list of resources for keyboarding. Please send me any additional resources you use, or your comments on the ones listed here.

KEYBOARDING PROGRAMS
For Learning Touch Typing

Free On-Line Programs

Dance Mat Typingwww.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/flash/stage1.shtml

Touch Typingwww.sense-lang.org/typing

Nimble Fingerswww.nimblefingers.com

Typing Lessons with Peterhttp://www.typing-lessons.org/preliminaries_1.html

Free Typing Tutorial
http://www.alfatyping.com/

Free TypingGame.net
http://www.freetypinggame.net/
This site also has a number of different typing games to help practice letters learned

Commercially Available

For a comprehensive review of each of these programs, as well as information on additional programs, please go to http://typing-for-kids-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ .

Type to Learn
There are many versions of this program. The most current version is Type To Learn 4, which retails for $79.95, but you can download a 30 day free trial.
Purchasing/Free Download Source: http://store.sunburst.com/Home.aspx

Type to Learn 3 is more cost friendly, retailing for around $29.99 ($32.99 for Vista compatability).
Purchasing Source: http://www.smartkidssoftware.com/ndsun3.htm

Typing Instructor for Kids 5.0
Purchasing Source: http://www.hermanstreet.com/store/smarthtml/typing-instructor-for-kids-5.html

Typing Quick & Easy
Purchasing Source: http://www.hermanstreet.com/store/software-typng-quick-and-easy-17-149763.html

Ainsworth Keyboard Trainer
Purchasing Source: http://www.qwerty.com/Prices%20and%20Ordering.htm
Free trial download available

UltraKey
Purchasing Source: http://ultrakey.com/
Free trial download available

Typing Pal Junior
Purchasing Source: http://www.typingpal.com/typingpal/tpjr.asp
Free demo trial available

SpongeBob SquarePants Typing
Purchasing Source: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NKPF7U?ie=UTF8&tag=ttr%5Ftyping-for-kids-software-20

He's Got MY Word!

2009-11-18T13:47:00.005-05:00

Oh, those word sorts! That's the new way to practice spelling in the county schools I serve. Once the students cut those tiny little rectangles apart they then have to arrange them in word "families" and use them all week long for different activities.

As the week progresses there are lots of little rectangles all over the classroom, tucked into desks, loose in bookbags, strewn on the floor. "He's got my word!" "No, it's my word." How to solve this social dilemma?

Have the students quickly draw straight lines on the back of their paper before they cut apart their words; that's the answer of many of the smart kindergarten teachers I now work with in various schools. Most students have the amazing ability to recall the exact crayon shade they used for coloring their papers. One teacher even thought of using the mini sentence holders (see blue plastic contraption in photo) she bought at "Targhet" to hold those slippery word sorts. Works great for a little sweetie who has difficulty using one hand to stabilize small objects.

Handwriting to Make You Cry

2009-11-10T15:58:00.007-05:00

For a good reason! This is gorgeous handwriting, done by a 2nd grader whose mom is a teacher for students with learning disabilities and who LOVES the Handwriting Without Tears program. Be ready to be amazed.

Use Music to Increase Alertness

2009-11-09T09:44:00.009-05:00

Last Friday I spent a time working with a student in a classroom that is new to me this year. While we worked together I got to hear the kindergarten teacher and several students sing the alphabet song to a modern tune, "Who Let the Dogs Out?" As the teacher pointed to individual letters on a large alphabet poster, she and the students sang about the object in each alphabet square: "Apple makes the A sound, a, a, a, a...Ball makes the B sound, bah, bah, bah, bah..." All weekend I've been playing back that song in my head and loving it.

Did you know that Raffi has a youTube video about brushing your teeth? He's performing live and surprises the children by putting on a pair of dark shades and attempting to perform his classic "Brush Your Teeth" song like a rapper. The high schoolers I work with in a class for students with severe disabilities loved the song and we used it to increase their engagement in a integrated therapy activity on dental hygiene last month.

Try looking up modern music for the activities you're working on with students this month--it sure makes the seasonal activities more fun and can increase alertness by the students to the task at hand.

Rubber Ducky

2009-04-24T22:48:00.005-04:00

Nestled up in a corner of the building where I work, I share a windowless office with a wild PT and an inventive teacher for kids in early childhood special education. The ECSE teacher works with students in their homes and in settings described as "natural environments." In her case, the NE settings are a kiddie gym and a daycare center connected to a hospital.

A week ago Friday she was trying hard not to giggle as she worked at her desk, but she finally let it all out and told me her secret. She had stopped by one of the local 99 cent stores and bought their whole stock of duck bills, or duck noses, which made loud duck calls when blown into. With glee she told me how her parents were going to hate her next week when she passed out the duck bills and showed the kids in the NE playgroup how to use them. Every time we ran into one another this week we exchanged a "Friday's coming" look and I teased her about how her time on earth was running out.

Well, today was the appointed day and I asked her late in the afternoon how it went. She described how she showed the students how to blow into the duck bills and how some had been successful after a few tries, and how some had a little practicing to do, when they got home!

Then she shared a remark from one of her parents and almost got tears in her eyes when she relayed a comment that made her week, maybe even her semester. One mom had collected up her child and gathered up all her bags to pack in the car and go home, but then paused and said, "I think we'll go by the lake and feed the ducks."

My teacher friend said, "This mom really got it."

We're all hoping that our work is occasionally appreciated by others and that we have made a positive impact on a child's life. Sometimes we're surprised by the joy of having someone else recognize our efforts. I'm glad my teacher friend felt that today.

I'll leave you with a blast from my college days, when my best friend, Cathy, and I used to sing this happy song on the way to/from our summer job. You can sing along, too, and here's a hint for the musically inclined--a plastic straw in a fast food soft drink cup works just great:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8IfCSnYPYo

Everything is Gorgeous in Richmond

2009-04-12T21:35:00.006-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter vacation, or plan to enjoy the next week off from school. This is the first time I remember having a week free before Easter and it was very weird--don't I get next week off, too???

To burn off some calories after our big meal today our family enjoyed a walk through a beautiful Richmond neighborhood--Westover Hills. Hope these photos reveal even a little bit of how gorgeous the azaleas and dogwood trees are in the spring. I included a photo of a new bridge tunnel we discovered--even though I've been living here over 30 years! Who knows what new things all of us will discover as this school year draws to a close?

And the grapes? Well, if your students need practice drawing small circles or other shapes, grab a box of scented crayons and have them draw the fruit their noses detect. They can "cheat" and read the name of the fruit scent on the wrapper of the crayon. If your students aren't comfortable writing the letters on their own, they can dictate the letters to you and make sure you form the correctly. Have you tried writing with your non-dominant hand as you work with students? This evens the playing field and makes your letters look less "perfect," which is less intimidating to young writers.

For this photo, I drew the curvy line for the stem of the grapes and we took turns drawing the circles. Since both of us are right-handed we made sure to draw the circles counter-clockwise. Lefties get to draw them clockwise.

Happy Lips

2009-03-10T17:21:00.006-04:00

Yes, it really did snow a lot in central Virginia last week. We were out of school for 3 1/2 days--YEAH!!! Thought you'd enjoy seeing the snow and my personal "snowman" who kept us warm by faithfully stoking the woodstove several times a day.

Here are some photos of a fun activity we did recently with a group of 3-5 year olds in a class for preschool kids with varying abilities. The adults pre-cut happy lips and provided 2" x 8" strips of sturdy white paper with each student's name written in all caps, each letter separated by vertical lines. The students snipped apart the letters of their names, along with some extra snips for teeth. We provided extra strips of paper for making lottsa teeth.

Once the snipping was done the students glued the paper teeth to the back of the happy lips, turned over the lips and glued them to a black background paper. After this they arranged the letters to spell their names and glued the letters to the same background paper.

This activity was part of community helpers week and the session included reading a book about sleeping fireman, policeman, postman... and then having the students take turns sitting in a "dentist's" chair for an exam. Some of them were a little freaked out at the idea of laying back in the chair and having their friendly OT lady turn into a scary, white-coated medical professional. However, they all ended up asking for a turn when they saw that their braver classmates made it through the ordeal without suffering.

It's Still Christmas at My House

2009-02-21T20:07:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling guilty about posting so little lately, but I should be back and writing in March. Have had my mom visiting since before Christmas and my life is all about work and coming home to appreciate her cooking, cleaning and yardwork at our house. She's 93 years old and going strong; can you repeat with me, "Well elderly"? Maybe you might like reading a little excerpt from her life which took place around Thanksgiving this year; to help explain one of the references--Ukrops is a family-owned grocery chain in our area and they are known for their excellent customer service.

'Til March I'll leave you with this:

Just before last Thanksgiving my Mom made one of her weekly trips to the nearby discount grocery store. We always tease that, even though we’re tough northerners, we need to strap on our ankle guards and elbow pads before we grab a cart because we’ve encountered several aggressive shoppers as we bump our way down the crowded aisles.

As she waited in her own long line to check out she struck up a conversation with a lady in the next line of checker-outers. Mom noticed the huge turkey in her new acquaintance’s cart, so the talk turned to Thanksgiving and meal planning and who knows what else. A keen observer of life, Mom noticed that the woman moved a little slowly as she advanced her cart in line, but she was shocked later to see how much difficulty she had placing her groceries on the conveyor belt.

Now, we don’t have Ukrops in Chicago and Mom wondered how in heck the lady was going to push her cart across the patchy sidewalk outside the store and then across the pot-holed parking lot to her car. So, Mom asked if she needed help and the lady smiled and said that someone from the store was going to help her. Knowing how unlikely that could be, Mom offered her services.

Envision this—my Mom pushing her own wobble-wheeled cart with her right hand, twisting slightly to pull the lady’s cart with her left hand—propelling her new friend forward as well--and heading out the door and down the sidewalk and slight ramp to the busy parking lot. After waiting a few minutes for the rude drivers to collect their senses enough to stop, Mom got fed up and let go of her cart in order to raise her hand in the air at an oncoming driver, then stepped into the street with a “Don’t you dare cross me” look on her face. Once satisfied that the drivers had really stopped, the little caravan of ladies and shopping carts proceeded across the road.

Once they reached the lady’s car Mom asked, “Where do you want the groceries,” then put them in place. I can only imagine what the lady was thinking as she drove home.
Mom says she doesn’t think about whether or not to help someone who looks like they need it; she just steps in and does it. I think I already know what to give her for her 94th birthday next August; something she really needs—the neon yellow uniform of a school crossing guard.

Edibles

2009-01-13T17:42:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness--where did those two weeks go????? Don't know about you, but I spent most of my Christmas break avoiding my mom's cooking!!! Here is a sample of her pecan tarts--I call them "Happy Tarts" because they're glowing (with golden butter!!!)

Back to reality. Note the fidget/chewey belt that has been working for a young student with tuberous sclerosis who likes to swing and fling his typical chewies. Now he can spin his soppy chewies closer to his center of gravity and spray everyone at a lower level. When he drops them, they just hang around his waist on the belt until he feels them bumping against his leg. It's a win-win. Well, he can wiggle the belt up to his shoulders or push it down to his knees, but the adults can often distract him with other fun activities before the belt completely leaves his body. Try it and let me know what chewies work for your students.

Turkey Surprise

2008-11-23T17:27:00.007-05:00

Although these sculptures are created from clay, we can use flour/salt/water dough to produce our sculptures. Remember to poke a few holes where the tailfeathers will be inserted once the dough has hardened.

The surprise for parents is the "I'm thankful for..." note tucked inside, where the gizzards should be.

These friendly fowl were the idea of a middle school art teacher who truly enjoys working with students with "differing" learning abilities.

We all learned the correct name for the wobbly skin that drapes under the turkey's neck--do you know what it's called???

No Money for Classroom Equipment? Be Creative

2008-11-23T17:11:00.006-05:00

When the money you raise with the classroom bake sale doesn't quite meet your needs, it's time to get creative.

Enjoy these photos, and one short movie clip, that feature an activity board designed and fabricated by a teacher for elementary students with severe disabilities. All of the toys came from the local 99 cent store.

There are many adults in this classroom and the students who use the activity board are closely supervised.

At the Ladybugs Picnic

2008-10-30T16:19:00.005-04:00

"One, Two, Three--Four, Five, Six--Seven, Eight, Nine--Ten, Eleven, Twelve--ladybugs (whew hoo!)--at the Ladybugs Picnic."

Quick, quick--can you remember what TV show that song is from?????*

Here is the latest in the series of recycled art concoctions from Cameron the Creative. His exact quote:

"I did dis! Dere is a lady bug in dere and he goes trew (through) da flowas and in da holes."

Note the slices of foam pool floaties and who knows where the foam flowers were found. The green accents are really leftover pieces of crepe paper reborn as crinkled flower petals.

*Answer=Sesame Street circa 1980's--click the link below for a trip down memory lane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8vUTm64h0

2008-11-13T18:41:00.005-05:00

In addition to the expensive, custom equipment we use with students in classrooms, remember that we can often use everyday, reasonably-priced positioning devices as well.

This preschooler has difficulty sitting independently and tends to lean into any person or other support he can trust to keep him secure. When I noticed how attentive and cautious the classroom instructional assistants were in this particular setting I thought we might be able to wean him a little from his dependence on others for sitting balance.

If you look closely you'll see that he is sitting on a wide-based, plastic footstool. It's the perfect height for him to be 90-90-90 at his hips, knees and ankles. His aide does not leave him when he's on the footstool. After modeling how to physically cue him to sit uprightly for several story times in the classroom, I worked with the aide on doing the same for him. The next week she proudly told me how much his balance had improved. Did I already tell you that she never leaves him alone? That's the key--you have to get a good sense of what the adults will do when you're not around.

One nice feature of using this small footstool is that it allows him to get close to activities, as shown by him putting those famous pumpkins on the fence, right next to a standing classmate.

Set Your Sinuses Free Soup

2008-11-02T18:52:00.002-05:00

It's the end of the first grading period--have you had your first cold yet? Getting colds or the flu is a traditional perk of being a school-based therapist. Forget the OTC drugs to clear up your head--this is a great short-term fix. The more curry you add, the more you forget about your problems.

Clear Your Sinuses/Curry Lovers Soup

Assorted colorful vegetables totaling approx 4 cups, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
*Chopped, cooked chicken or other meat, approximately 1-2 cups.
32 oz. reduced-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, coarse-ground pepper, muchi curry powder** or other variety

1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar (optional)
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oil in soup pan, add salt, optional lemon juice or vinegar and curry powder—stir frequently to avoid burning curry.
Add chopped vegetables, rice and pepper and stir frequently at medium temperature.
After vegetables are slightly tender and coated with spices, remove ½ vegetable/rice mixture and set aside to cool.
Add chicken broth (less ½ cup to aid in next step) to soup pan and simmer mixture.
Puree or partially-puree cooled vegetables (adding a little broth in the food processor or blender), then return them to soup pan. This thickens the soup a little.
Simmer until tough vegetables are tender and serve with crisp, dunking bread, if desired. Vegetables will still be slightly crisp the first time you serve it.

*Tastes great without the meat.
**Use 1 tsp. of curry powder the first time you try recipe and adjust to taste the next time. The curry taste is deeper if the vegetables and meat are coated and cooked with it, not if you just add it to the soup.

What's Your Choice?

2008-10-27T21:12:00.006-04:00

Our current events activity this month features the two categories of 1) the Presidential Election and 2) Fall Celebrations.

Students used clip art "stickers" to categorize the photos and then placed the photos on construction paper.

Our Speech-Language Pathologist made sure the students understood the concept of voting by having everyone sample red and green apples, then vote for which flavor they liked the best. The students received a red and a green apple shape then slipped their choice into an empty coffee can "voting machine."

Let's hope the best candidate wins!

Sketchin' Away

2008-10-26T18:42:00.005-04:00

When we work with elementary school students on improving the fine motor skills necessary for school success, sometimes they need a little fun to keep on keepin' on.

Ed Emberley has written many books about drawing and they're useful for kindergarten students all the way up to higher grades, depending on your student's cognitive abilities. Your school's library probably has multiple titles on hand. Here is a link to link to his website:

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/main.aspx?section=db

This 4th grader is working on spatial skills, sequencing, pencil control and using his non-preferred hand to stabilize the paper --all while having fun drawing a step-by-step elephant sketch.

Please don't cringe at the position of his wrist & pencil; believe me, it's an improvement over what he could manage a few months ago.

Who Knows the Mind That Lurks Inside?

2008-10-20T20:56:00.002-04:00

This morning I walked into the office of the SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist) who has been my guide to survival at the high school I serve. I noticed the cartoon-like drawings on her whiteboard and asked about it. Are you prepared to be fascinated?

Last week she was reading a chapter about Christopher Columbus to a group of students and one student, who has the diagnosis of Autism, seemed to not be paying any attention to the story. He was rocking and flailing his arms and looking everywhere but toward her. She felt an inspiration and asked him to stand up and draw scenes from the story she was reading.

He turned into Mr. Artist and drew these sketches. First, a boy reading a book about Christopher Columbus. Next, a boy thinking about the voyage Columbus made. Finally, Columbus preparing a map to chart his voyage.

Not only did the student draw this, he was able to point to the correct designs as the chapter was summarized by the SLP.

Who knows what's lurking in those seemingly inattentive, seemingly distractible minds of students we serve?

2008-09-24T16:34:00.001-04:00

Curriculum-based activities for high schoolers and middle schoolers can be difficult to conjure up. Here's an activity we adapted from one used by an excellent teacher for students with hearing impairments in Richmond City Public Schools, Ann Hughes:

This activity starts out with lots of adult preparation, but over time it can develop into more student involvement.

The monthly class project revolves around current events for a single month of the school year. For example, the current events for September have been Sports and Entertainment. In October the current events might be the Presidential Election and Fall celebrations.

The adults bring in newspaper photos of Sports and Entertainment (music, TV, movies, dance) and the students discuss which of the two categories a few photos fall into. Then, students are given a handful of photos and asked to place a sticker on the photo which indicates whether it is a Sports photo or an Entertainment photo. The adults discuss the photos with the students as they work and opportunities for class discussion occur spontaneously.

Once a student has completed all their photos, they go to a huge poster and place their photos on the poster. An adult asks them about a few of their photos and points out their work to the class. This continues with all of the students placing their photos on the poster, time permitting.

Our class included a student with extremely limited vision. When we discussed Sports photos versus Entertainment photos, an adult bounced a tennis ball or played a note on a harmonica to include an auditory cue for the topic.

Follow up activities included placing additional photos on the poster and having the students use a die cut machine to create "September" letters to border the finished poster. It would be a cinch to have the students create mini posters for each month, using leftover photos, and this could be assembled into individual scrapbooks for the school year.

The dreamer in me would like to have members of the school's football team visit the classroom to see the completed September poster, as well as a student playing an instrument similar to one in a photo. To illustrate dance I almost grabbed a fellow teacher for a twirl but was able to control myself in front of the impressionable students.

This activity was used with high schoolers in a class for students with moderate mental disabilities. It can be graded for students of differing physical and cognitive abilities.

Don't forget to take pictures for alternate assessments; we also recorded the students' voices in case we ever create a presentation.

"P" is for Pizza!

2008-10-19T12:26:00.005-04:00

Sure, in October, "P" is for Pumpkin, but pizza is everyone's favorite. One of my imaginative kindergarten teachers had prepared this arrival activity one morning last week and I fell in love with it. She pre-cut the paper-plate quarters, plus 3" x 5" rectangles of assorted "pizza topping" colors and set them in orderly piles. The students fashioned mini pepperoni circles, cheese and green pepper strips and mushroom-ish shapes, then glued them onto the pizza crust (brown crayon colored edges) and tomato base (red crayon colored centers).

As the activity progressed, the teacher commented on the variety of student designs: "Look how she has cut her yellow paper in tiny, little strips to make skinny cheese on her pizza." "Oh, here's someone who likes the same thing I do on my pizza--look at all those grey mushrooms he put on his pizza." She even pointed out the different approaches taken by students in organizing the project: "I want you all to come over to this table and see how he has cut all his cheese strips and put them in one pile, all his pepperoni circles and put them in another pile--he's all ready to make his pizza."

Each one was different and they were all take-home worthy!

Fall Digs

2008-10-15T19:23:00.003-04:00

Have you tried adapted gardening with your students? You know, dig a hole, pet the cat, put in the plant, pet the cat, water the plant, pet the cat...

A friend designed a raised, mini garden bed for me to use at schools. It's very portable and inexpensive to construct. Since the winter weather in Virginia is suitable for growing pansies and snapdragons I plan to have students do the prep work and planting during recess, then carry water from their classrooms to the planter on a regular basis to keep it watered sufficiently. Fall weather gardening is very forgiving since the plants probably won't shrivel up in the heat over the long weekends without daily watering.

Will post more photos of the planting adventures.