Tercentenary Celebrations, autumn bulb planting and spring harvesting of colorful flowers.

Students planted daffodil bulbs in autumn in an effort to enhance the aesthetics of the school grounds, bearing in mind that pollinating plants numbers had to be increased, as this is an objective of the Bees Need Trees - Trees Need Bees accelerator project. Students selected daffodils and following research and also planted snowdrops bulbs which were sourced locally from West Cork Bulbs.This was inkeeping with reducing airmiles and being environmentally conscious. It was noted that they would bloom near the annual Irish Cancer Society's daffodil day and it was hoped to contribute the daffodils to this charitable cause. https://www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/major-fundraising-drives/daffodil-day/register#sthash.PvxuDmM1.dpbs

St. Joseph's College, is a Presentation secondary school for girls and 2018 marked the tercentenary celebration of the birth of Nano Nagle founder of the order which has schools on all continents. Various activities were suggested and the transition year students decided to plant 300 bulbs. This was a novel idea since it did not feature a list of suggested activites. In the spirit of our school we got digging with OSOS in St. Joseph's. The students invited teachers to get digging and employed the use of an app called Canva to participate. https://www.canva.com Teacher and student wellbeing was promoted

In an effort to naturalise the location of the planting of bulbs, students and teachers attempted to dig soil around tress but had to resort to line planting also. The distance travelled quietly by trees roots underground was a surprise to many students and teachers who encountered them! Serotonin levels were increased during this purposeful activity helping to boost mental welbeing. Serotonin is a hormone that improves individuals mood, happiness and wellbeing. Physical activity levels were increased. 

Sustainable practices were considered and bulbs grown in Ireland were sourced from West Cork Bulbs. Daffodils are not a great pollen source for insects but snowdrops are and they, too were sourced from the West Cork Bulb company. Taylor bulbs were also purchased. The school, Board of Management and trustees CEIST were delighted to finance the activity. Any waste coffee grounds collected from the local village cafes were added to the peat free compost.  This encourged the linking between commerical establishments in our community and students. Students could then have the opportunity to  approach them for work experience or part time employment. Students collecting waste coffee grounds were removing waste from landfill and designing into their practice elements of a circular economy. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept Nitrogen a valuable plant nutrient is found in spent coffee grounds and this can be re-cycled back into the biological system for added benefit to plant growth in our plant growing areas on school grounds. 

Students examined the importance of the Nitrogen Cycle and how modified bulbs planted in the months of October settled in to the soil in autumn, endured the climatic temperature changes of winter, blooming in spring. Students watched educational resouces about the  Nitrogen Cycle https://ed.ted.com/on/f2bWWgsM/review_open#question-1 Students experience the time, waiting to see if the bulbs they planted produced flowers. Hope was central to a successful outcome. Bulbs survived the winter and the flowers heralded the arrival of spring. As humans we battle winter moments and hope that we have the physical and mental wellbeing to experience the spring. This is central to our positive sense of being. Garden growth models this. 

"In giving, we receive" according to St. Francis of Assisi. Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique and parts of neighbouring Zimbabwe. The class took to selling the daffodils to members of staff in St. Joseph's College, with monies raised going to the Presentation Order in Zimbabwe; the day prior to the Irish Cancer Societies national fundraiser. Students and the teaching community were afforded the the opportunity of doing something to help others less fortunate than themselves in Zimbabwe. A community in Lucan had the ability to affect a postive change, empowering them to assist in the wider community of the Presentation Order, on a different continent,  https://gopro.com/v/vPRv2MDm9nmvB The group of students worked together digging, planting, picking and wrapping the daffodils making different social connections in class and with a community on a different continent - Africa.

A happy, purposeful sense of fulfilment and achievement grown by students of OSOS, in St. Joseph's.