Grace Early Childhood Center
Grow with Grace
Thanks to the generous support of the Belton Educational Foundation, community volunteers, and BSD families, we are able to help our youngest learners Grow with Grace. Our unique approach intertwines growing curriculum with character education, providing a holistic learning experience for our little gardeners. Through hands-on activities and engaging lessons, we are able to instill an understanding of the growing process and essential social and educational values that will continually blossom.
Growing Connections
The Belton Educational Foundation has awarded not only one garden grant, but TWO as of 2023! The first grant involved installing a pollinator garden to demonstrate connections between the growth process of flowers, fruits, and vegetables and what impact pollinators have on a garden's production. Students grew plants from seed to install in the garden during the Spring and each classroom observed the growth of Painted Lady butterflies, eventually releasing over 200 butterflies in the garden!
Since this grant was awarded in 2021, Grace students have grown hundreds of flowers and vegetable plants to put in this garden, donate to neighboring school gardens, and to sell at our annual plant sale to fund future inclusive playground equipment. Students also surprised staff members throughout the district with vases full of flowers from the "Cultivate Kindness" cut flower garden.
COMING IN 2024!
The second grant provided by the Belton Educational Foundation was awarded in December 2023 for a Belton School District Community Garden, housed at Grace Early Childhood. All students and families will have access to this garden and the contents, providing nutrition, hands-on learning experiences and community connections throughout the year. Stay tuned for more information regarding family events, volunteer opportunities, and garden installation progress. We look forward to growing with you in 2024!
Helping us grow
Grace Early Childhood would like to give a huge shout out to all of our garden supporters!
- The Belton Educational Foundation
- Vego Garden Giving Back Program: Garden bed donations
- Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: Heirloom seed donations
Want to join our team of volunteers? Contact Laura Linn at llinn@bsd124.org to learn more!
Contact
Laura Linn
ECSE Teacher
816-489-7300
Hours
11:30 AM -12:15 PM
Monday-Friday
3:30 PM-5:30 PM
Monday-Friday
Upcoming Events
Watering our "Cultivate Kindness" cut flower garden.
Harvesting watermelons
"Making it rain" with over 400 seed packets donated from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company!
Thank you Vego Garden for donating 4 raised garden beds to our Grow with Grace school garden!
Thank you Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company for your seed donation!
Taste testing tomatoes and cucamelons from the garden.
Taste testing tomatoes and cucamelons from the garden.
One of many giant tomatoes from the summer of 2023!
"An Evening in the Garden" 2023 family event at Grace Early Childhood.
"An Evening in the Garden" 2023 family event at Grace Early Childhood.
Early planting of onions in our inclusive raised beds.
Zinnias are the top pollinator attracting flower in our garden!
Painted Lady Butterfly Release
Pollinator garden groundbreaking!
Thank you Vego Garden for donating 4 inclusive raised bed to our new Community Garden!
Harvesting peppers at the Mill Creek garden.
Assorted gourds on the gourd arch
Zinnias from the "Cultivate Kindness" cut flower garden at Grace.
Observing a small tree frog on a zinnia.
Building a dried sunflower tunnel.
Butterflies and bees have been helpful pollinating our herbs and vegetables!
Fall sunflowers
Observing a tree frog on a zinnia.
Tasting school grown watermelon!
Cultivate Kindness garden
Helping Mill Creek students prepare their fall garden beds.
Surprising cafeteria staff at BHS with flowers from the garden.
Fall sunflowers
Surprising Grace Staff with flowers from the garden.
Tree frogs frequently hide in our garden flowers and vegetables.
Watermelon Harvest 2023
Black Strawberry tomatoes waiting to ripen.
Observing caterpillars during our butterfly project.
Butterfly release in the garden.
Shade garden flowers
Painted Lady butterfly on violas from a butterfly release.
Our tallest sunflower reached 15 feet!
Picking out the perfect flower!
Harvesting ornamental corn for Fall Fun Day.
Picking Summer tomatoes!
Cultivate Kindness cut flower garden.
Planting aromatic herbs to draw beneficial pollinators to the garden.
Planting marigolds to protect pepper plants from garden pests.
Gourd observations under the gourd arch.