Join the Thomas Fitzwater Garden Club Student Program!
STUDENT PROGRAM
Garden Club Student Program @Lunch is back! Students K-5th who SIGNUP will meet with students their age, at their designated Lunch/recess time. The Club offers hands-on gardening activities, as an enrichment program for all TFES Students, including the Intermediate Unit.
2025-26 Schedule is in the works. Those registered will receive schedule (will be during students’ lunch recess – 4 times per year)
STUDENTS @ LUNCH
Students signed up for the @Lunch Program, will only meet once in the fall and three times in the spring. Students who do not want to miss recess can still participate in other ways.
WANTED: PARENT VOLUNTEERS WITH CLEARANCES to teach special classes @Lunch: Email us if you are interested in volunteering. At this time, the Garden Club Program is operated by community volunteers and our @Lunch program is facilitated by Parent Leaders. WE NEED MORE HELP!
SIGNUP FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE at https://bit.ly/GardenSignup25-26
STUDENTS/VOLUNTEERS: UPDATE MEMBERSHIP FORMS EACH SCHOOL YEAR!
ABOUT TFES GARDEN CLUB’s STUDENT PROGRAM:
WHEN: Learn @Lunch is held annually in October and then again April-June with classes during their grade’s lunch/recess time, alternating weeks. Each grade will only meet once in the fall and twice in the spring. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Learn @Lunch in Schedule at ——————-.
HOW: REGISTRATION: Student MEMBERSHIP Forms must be updated each School Year! If a student is enrolled in the Fall2025 Learn @Lunch Program, they are set for Spring2026. Students who don’t want to miss any regular recesses, can still participate in Club other ways (see signup). CLOTHING: Be prepared to be outdoors in the garden, wear closed-toe shoes, sunblock, garden clothes that are okay to get dirty, and/or long-sleeves/coats. We have some of garden gloves and tools the kids can use. WEATHER DEPENDENT: We will only be able to hold the program outside: with lite rain, we can sit out front of the school under the awning; however, we will cancel if weather is severe.
WHO: This enrichment program is available to all TFES Students, including the Intermediate Unit, who meet at least once annually). Grades K-5 meet at their designated Lunch-Recess time, with other gardeners in their grade (about 30 students per grade). We serve about 175 students/ year in just this program (not counting their families and the others involved on weekends/after-school/summer events). Leading classes will be Garden Club Advisor: Mrs. Tracy Nyszczot and WE ARE SEARCHING FOR TFES TEACHER/S TO ASSIST! We are also asking TFES parent volunteers (with updated clearances) to lead the classes in the growing season (Volunteer SignUp in the works).
WHAT: Lunch Bunch format allowed students to meet with other nature-loving kids their age to enjoy their packed lunch while learning about gardening. Students will engage in hands-on lessons in a food producing garden on TFES campus, as well as, an indoor greenhouse seed-starting system. In addition, students will have opportunities to help with various projects to beautify the school grounds and enhance the ecosystem. Through these hands-on activities we will also teach lessons such as nutrition, outdoor recreation, nature, science, horticulture, math, and hit some related curriculum standards. We will utilize wellness enrichment activities, we hope to enhance the holistic health of our students and families — body and mind. CLASS FORMAT: A typical club Learn @Lunch would start with us eating a packed lunch at the Outdoor Classroom; a greeting with a discussion such as “what is your favorite plant to eat”?, talk about what we are doing today, then we split into two stations. Sometimes we play a game/learning activity, and a second station planting/maintaining the Food Garden. We also do a take-home planting activity and end the year with a Salad Party (learning about and tasting the food we grew that year!)
WHERE: We meet for Lunch at the TFES Outdoor Classroom and then go into the TFES Food Garden (On the Swim Club side of School – See Map).
PHOTOS TELL THE STORY
2021 PHOTOS: Click here to visit a gallery of photos from 2021.
2022 PHOTOS: Click here to visit a gallery of photos from 2022.
2023 PHOTOS: Click here to visit a gallery of photos from 2023.
2024 PHOTOS: Click here to visit a gallery of photos from 2024.
2025 PHOTOS: Click here to visit a gallery of photos from 2025
TFES Garden Club Extension Programs for Sandy Run Middle School Students and Upper Dublin High School
OTHER STUDENTS: Sandy Run Middle Schoolers and UDHS students can signup to receive emails about special opportunities (for community service hours).
We are fortunate to have the support of Upper Dublin School District extension program to allow volunteer opportunities for middle/high schoolers. We thankful for UDSD staff: the TFES Garden Club’s original founder, Mr. Joshua Meyer (now working over at the Middle School) and Mrs Lisa Fantini (of UDHS and Robbins Park) who is Environmental Educator at School District of Upper Dublin. We will sort these students by school and invite them to special opportunities for the older students to help at the TFES garden (or other opportunities for tween/teen growers)!
Other Volunteers: Adult Volunteers can use the same signup form, and choosing your “member type” and adult volunteer information.
The End is only the beginning! Especially since we have our Salad Parties at the end of year, where students “Tasted It” (tasted all the veggies we grew in the garden and signed a banner!)
TFES GARDEN CLUB 