Meet Shanell Rosenfeld, Chimacum Schools’ new K-6 Garden Coordinator. Shanell has picked up the Garden Coordinator relay baton from Corey Chin, who had to step back earlier this spring due to a family medical emergency.
Shanell, a certificated Early Elementary and Special Education teacher, has taught using a STEAM framework (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Germany. At her most recent teaching post in Berlin, her students were able to experience both art and earth studies through a garden Shanell built to enhance play space on the roof of their urban school building.
In her teaching, Shanell likes to start with a theme, for example "Composting," and then scale the lessons—from learning about and experiencing earth worms, to why a well-composed compost pile breaks down, to nutrient cycling from soil to plant to plate, and how those nutrients nourish the bodies and minds of students who eat fresh garden-grown produce.
Picking up where classes left off last fall, this spring the students at Chimacum Creek Primary and Chimacum Elementary will have hands-on instruction in growing plants from seed, as well as nurturing perennial culinary & medicinal herbs, berries, and orchard trees. Shanell loves to build and create with students, and will also be encouraging garden art from found and recycled materials—for example, the new chain link garden fence could have a woven design to bring visual interest as well as creating a wind break for those lessons held outside of the greenhouse.
Because of Shanell's early elementary and special education teaching certifications, the Community Wellness Project has also contracted with her to design a locally-grounded garden curriculum for east Jefferson County Schools. When finished, this curriculum can serve as a resource for all local schools who wish to use it, helping new garden coordinators come up to speed quickly with their programs, while reassuring school leaders that garden lessons are grounded in grade level-aligned next generation science standards.
Those passionate about art, earth, and helping kids can contact Shanell at CSD49.garden(at)gmail.com