Educational and Schoolyard Gardening: including pond aquatic ecosystems, Texas Native Inspired Gardens, Hugelkultur Garden Beds, Berms and Swales, Rain Gardens, Chickens, Goats, Ducks, and Sheep, Greenhouse Horticulture , Monarch Waystations, NWF Schoolyard Habitats, NWF Green Flag Schools, Environmentally themed Murals, Native Plants, Adapted Plants and Food Gardens
InSmallGardens Instagram
Monday, December 14, 2015
Capstone Project of the Week: Goat Promotional Video
Check out Ashlyn Tatro's 8th grade capstone project! She created a promotional video for Small Green Tech Academy to recruit new students to the program.
Labels:
Austin,
Capstone Projects,
Goats,
Green Tech Academy
Thursday, December 10, 2015
7th Grade Meal Project
Mr. Brooks' "What's on your plate?" class is in the process of serving up their final projects this week in the form of a 3 course tasting menu for their classmates. The students prepared a meal made from scratch with whole, balanced foods and presented it to their peers. Check out our slide show of their tasty creations below!
Labels:
Austin,
Chris Brooks,
What's on your plate?
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Bucket Race
Mr. Brooks' 6th grade "The World Outside" class was outdoors today learning about watersheds and water conservation. They discussed the ways in which they use water every day. Did you know that every flush of your toilet uses about 5 gallons of water? In order for the students to understand how much 5 gallons is, they carried a 5 gallon bucket once around the entire school with a team! It was great exercise and great fun!
Labels:
ATX,
Chris Brooks,
Green Academy,
The World Outside,
water conservation
Capstone Project of the Week: Grow Towers
Exciting news! For her 8th grade Green Academy capstone project, Sabella Jaroszewski seeded and maintained our school grow towers. The grow towers use aeroponics, the process of growing plants without dirt, to produce vegetables for our school cafeteria. Check out the pictures of the fruits of her labor being harvested for use in our salad bar!
Monday, November 16, 2015
Austin Oaks Church Volunteer Day
Some wonderful volunteers from Austin Oaks Church came out to work in the Small Middle School gardens on Sunday. They planted countless trees in the blink of an eye. Thank you Austin Oaks Church for your support of Green Academy!
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Green Academy Trip to Whole Foods
Mr. Brooks' "What's on your plate?" class visited Whole Foods on November 2nd and 3rd to explore the store and learn more about the food choices they make. Students completed a scavenger hunt throughout the store that tested the limits of their food and nutrition knowledge. The parents, teachers, and students then settled down on the Whole Foods patio to enjoy lunch together.
Check out the slideshow below!
Labels:
ATX,
Chris Brooks,
field trip,
Green Academy
Monday, November 2, 2015
Mulch/Compost Pick-up Moved
Due to the rain on Friday, we have moved our mulch and compost sale to Wednesday November 4th. Come by before school (7-8 AM), after school (3:30-5:00 PM), or during the school day via appointment to pick up your orders. If you have not ordered yet, don't worry! Just swing by on November 4th and we will have some extra bags you can purchase on the spot.
Thank you for supporting Green Tech Academy!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
There's still time to get mulch and compost!
Thanks for your support of Green Tech!
Labels:
2015,
Austin,
Fund Raising,
Green Tech Academy
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Mulch and Compost Order Form Now Available!!!
Pre-order for the mulch and compost sale is open until October 28th!! You can order online by clicking HERE. Pick up your orders from the Small Middle School greenhouse on October 30th!
For more information click HERE or email elizabeth.grenadier@austinisd.org.
Hope to see you there!
Labels:
ATX,
compost,
Fund Raising,
Green Academy,
Mulch
Monday, October 19, 2015
Bag Mulch and Bulk Compost Sale!
Green Tech Academy is hosting a mulch and "bag your own" compost sale! Keep your garden healthy this fall and support your community at the same time! Pre-order is available starting October 26th through October 28th. Pre-order form coming soon! Come pick up your fantastic mulch and compost from Small Middle School on October 30th. Check out the schedule below!
- 7:00 AM-8:00 AM - pick up available (no appointment)
- 8:00 AM-3:30 PM - Appointment needed!! (email elizabeth.grenadier@austinisd.org)
- 3:30 PM-5:00 PM - pick up available (no appointment)
Hope to see you there!
Labels:
ATX,
compost,
Green Tech Academy,
Mulch
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Field Trip to Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
Finally teachers, students, and parents alike did some good old gardening work, assisting the staff of Canyonlands in preparing their new pollinator garden. After a refreshing lunch and a few rounds of frisbee they all returned to school.
Check out some more pictures of the trip below!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Clint Small Middle School name one of the TOP 10 ECO-SCHOOLS in the COUNTRY!
Green Tech Academy, Clint Small Middle School, Austin, Texas
Clint Small Middle School's Green Tech Academy earned Texas' first Green Flag. Students created an extensive garden, planting more than 300 native plant species. The campus also has an outdoor classroom, a greenhouse, a chicken coop, composting, recycling, water-harvesting, and a Japanese garden. Twenty-five percent of the school's food is produced locally.
http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA/Top-10-Eco-Schools.aspx?s_email_id=20150929_ECO_ENG_TopTenGreenestSchools|STEdu
Monday, September 21, 2015
Plant Sale FASTLY approaching! This Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday!
Here are some of the students' hard work advertising for the plant sale. They put in a lot of effort and it shows!
Here is a list of plants we usually have at the sale. They usually range from $3 for 4 inch pots to $7 for 1 gallon pots. Some more specialty plants can go between $10-$25. We may even have some trees. If there is anything you would us to try and procure, let us know!
Texas Red Bud
Mexican Plum
Fragrant Mimosa (in bloom)
Possumhaw
Yaupon Holly
Wax Myrtle
Anacacho Orchid (in bloom)
Crossvine (in bloom)
Montezuma Cypress
Monterey Oak
Red Yucca (in bloom)
Twist Leaf Yucca
Gulf Muhly
Lindheimer Muhly
Inland Sea Oats
Blue Eyed Grass (in bloom)
White Coneflower
Purple Coneflower (in bloom)
Cedar Sage
Salvia Cleavelandii
Red Columbine
Texas Betony
Chocolate Daisy
Texas Rock Rose (in bloom)
Apache Plume (in bloom)
Chili Pequin
Escarpment Cherry
Remember, we are still selling potted homecoming mums. Buy in bulk, it saves $$$!!! Show your COUGAR SPIRIT!
Here is a list of plants we usually have at the sale. They usually range from $3 for 4 inch pots to $7 for 1 gallon pots. Some more specialty plants can go between $10-$25. We may even have some trees. If there is anything you would us to try and procure, let us know!
Texas Red Bud
Mexican Plum
Fragrant Mimosa (in bloom)
Possumhaw
Yaupon Holly
Wax Myrtle
Anacacho Orchid (in bloom)
Crossvine (in bloom)
Montezuma Cypress
Monterey Oak
Red Yucca (in bloom)
Twist Leaf Yucca
Gulf Muhly
Lindheimer Muhly
Inland Sea Oats
Blue Eyed Grass (in bloom)
White Coneflower
Purple Coneflower (in bloom)
Cedar Sage
Salvia Cleavelandii
Red Columbine
Texas Betony
Chocolate Daisy
Texas Rock Rose (in bloom)
Apache Plume (in bloom)
Chili Pequin
Escarpment Cherry
TX Mountain Laurel
Spiderwort
Cedar Elm
Aloe Vera
Pinyon Pine
Shrubby Bush Sage
White Mistflower
Gregg's Mistflower
Catalpa
Evergreen Sumac
American Beautyberry
Lantana Horrida
Sabal Minor
Eve's Necklace
Mexican Plum
Monterey Oak
Lacey Oak
Desert Willow
Goldenball Leadtree
Aloe Vera
Century Plant
Possumhaw
Red Yucca
Sotol
Nolina Texana
Heartleaf Skullcap
Obedient plant
Skeletonleaf goldeneye
Prostrate Rosemary
Mexican Oregano
Salvia greggi
Remember, we are still selling potted homecoming mums. Buy in bulk, it saves $$$!!! Show your COUGAR SPIRIT!
Check out our Facebook page for order forms and other information about the Green Tech Academy.
Labels:
2015,
Art,
Cougar Spirit,
Facebook,
Fall Plant Sale,
Homecoming,
Mums,
Native Plant Sale,
Plant Sale,
Posters,
Purple,
White
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
UPDATE! PLANT SALE COMING SOON! 9/24, 9/25, 9/28 and 9/29!
More information to come. Native and adapted plants will be sold! We will also sell potted mums in honor of football homecoming.
Labels:
Fall Plant Sale,
Fall Plant Sale 2015,
Homecoming,
Mums,
Purple,
White
Friday, May 22, 2015
Independent Research Presentations
This was never posted. #TBT
Community Members, Family, and Friends are invited to attend the 8th grade Independent Research Project Presentations on Wednesday, May 27th, Small Middle School in room 112.
Presentations will began at 8:45am and run until 10:45am followed by an Awards Ceremony.
Student Research topics include: Native Bee Homes on Small Campus, AISD LEED Certification, Water Conservation within AISD, Chicken Tractor Design, Cobb Oven Design, Goat Camera Installation, Rain Garden Installation, Small Cafeteria Improvements, Art and the Environment, Community Garden Installation, Pollinator Gardens, Increasing Native Birds on campus, Mice Control Study on campus and many more!
Your support for our students is greatly appreciated. Hope to see you there!
Community Members, Family, and Friends are invited to attend the 8th grade Independent Research Project Presentations on Wednesday, May 27th, Small Middle School in room 112.
Presentations will began at 8:45am and run until 10:45am followed by an Awards Ceremony.
Student Research topics include: Native Bee Homes on Small Campus, AISD LEED Certification, Water Conservation within AISD, Chicken Tractor Design, Cobb Oven Design, Goat Camera Installation, Rain Garden Installation, Small Cafeteria Improvements, Art and the Environment, Community Garden Installation, Pollinator Gardens, Increasing Native Birds on campus, Mice Control Study on campus and many more!
Your support for our students is greatly appreciated. Hope to see you there!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Donations
We are in need of a few essential items to aid our students in their end of the year capstone projects.
Any help in obtaining these items would be greatly appreciated!
*8" wheel barrow tires and wheels (preferably rubber) for our newly constructed chicken tractors
Non expired native plant and food seeds
Soil
Mulch
Items can be dropped off anytime at our greenhouse on campus or by contacting Nate Rosenberg at Nate.Rosenberg@austinisd.org
*Wheels were found at Harbour Freight Tools for a very reasonable price. I would recommend Harbour Freight for any home improvement project you are not looking for supplies that will last a lifetime. Also tools that may need to be replaced due to misuse by youths. Awesome place!
Any help in obtaining these items would be greatly appreciated!
*8" wheel barrow tires and wheels (preferably rubber) for our newly constructed chicken tractors
Non expired native plant and food seeds
Soil
Mulch
Items can be dropped off anytime at our greenhouse on campus or by contacting Nate Rosenberg at Nate.Rosenberg@austinisd.org
*Wheels were found at Harbour Freight Tools for a very reasonable price. I would recommend Harbour Freight for any home improvement project you are not looking for supplies that will last a lifetime. Also tools that may need to be replaced due to misuse by youths. Awesome place!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Earth Day!
7th Grade Green Tech Academy student, Josephine Montminy took a couple of beautiful photos to celebrate Earth Day! Enjoy and happy Earth Day from Small Green Tech Academy!
Recently Small Green Tech Academy was awarded an award from National Wildlife Federation for our sustainability initiatives! We are the first school in Texas to achieve this award and 1 out of 40 in the nation! Our students and staff have worked very hard and we were all very excited to receive this award! The full article with details is posted below!
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/first-school-in-texas-to-earn-national-award-for-sustainability-initiatives/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/first-school-in-texas-to-earn-national-award-for-sustainability-initiatives/
Labels:
First School in Texas,
Marya Fowler,
NWF,
NWF Green Flag Award,
Texas
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Spring Cleaning, Spring Blooms, and Spring Plant Sale 3/26-27
Each semester our school participates with the citywide Keep Austin Beautiful Clean Sweep. We clean multiple areas of school including Monterey Oaks Blvd., our nature trail and the school grounds.
Our native gardens have also started blooming this week. They will look even more amazing in the coming weeks.
Our Spring plant sale will be this Thursday and Friday March 26 and 27 from 9-4:30. We can also stay later by request. Here is a sampling of the plants we will be receiving from Far South Nursery and Emerald Garden.
Socuty Garlic
Spiderwort
Pink Ferry Duster
Bottle Brush
Compact Orange Sage
Gopher Plant
Maiden Hair Fern
Anisacanthus Tangerine
Artemisia Silver King
Indian Mallow
Bulbine Orange
Chile Pequin
Trailing Wine cup
Dwarf Cherry Barbados
White Beautyberry
Coral Bean
Mexican Plum
Fig Tx BrnTrky
Evergreen Sumac
Smoke Tree
Kidney Wood
Wax Myrtle- Dwarf
Dogwood
Mexican Olive
Anacacho Orchid
Texas Gold Yucca
Columbeu
Black Dalea
Texas Gay feather
Kangaroo Paw
Brush Sunset
Cream spread cantana
Mexican honeysuckle
fragrant mistflower
native honeysuckle
Blue glow agave
crassula coccinea- campfire
Marginata agave
Thursday, February 19, 2015
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!
The Green Academy and the Art Department have been working together to transform a barren section of the school into a piece of environmentally inspired art. Energized by the street art around Austin, students and teachers sought to produce a piece of work that would connect our diverse student interests and backgrounds. Students wanted to create a bright, vivid, simple, motivational, and "Selfie-worthy" piece of work that any could find enjoyment in,
After scouting locations on campus that would provide a large enough canvas to encapsulate the artistic vision, students worked to find the most environmentally conscience paint. Once paint was located and purchased, the long process began of taping, painting, drying and repeat.
We are very close to completing this project that began in the Fall semester of 2014. Here are the photographs of our progress so far.
Adding some finishing touches, the Green Academy and Art Department finished our mural collaboration. Here is Mr. Tabares adding our street art graffiti.
After scouting locations on campus that would provide a large enough canvas to encapsulate the artistic vision, students worked to find the most environmentally conscience paint. Once paint was located and purchased, the long process began of taping, painting, drying and repeat.
We are very close to completing this project that began in the Fall semester of 2014. Here are the photographs of our progress so far.
Priming and sealing the porous brick |
Measuring and staking the center of the wall to allow the sun and its rays to be drawn symmetrically and easier |
Penciling out our design |
Penciled design |
Taping over the pencil |
Begin of yellow paint application |
YELLOW PAINT! |
Sun? |
Finishing the sun and its rays. |
Clean up, clean up, everybody cleans up! |
Orange background. |
What's next? COMING SOON! |
Posers posing for a selfie demonstration. |
Poser with added glowing accent color. |
Flare |
Bold font |
FIN! |
We are so proud of our kids and the work they do in these great Small Middle School and Austin ISD courses! If you come and take photos or share any of their work, please add the hashtag #AISDProud and #youaremysunshine. We want everyone to know how great our kids are and to showcase all their wonderful projects.
Tags added |
Labels:
Art,
Art Department,
ATX,
Austin,
Austin TX collaboration,
environmental,
eres mi sol,
graffiti,
Green Academy,
Low Voc,
mural,
No VOC,
paint,
selfie,
Street art,
sun,
Tabares,
you are my sunshine
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