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How can incorporating and sustaining a community garden in the low income school district be beneficial to our community members?

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Part 4: Community and Curriculum Connections 

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Part 4: Community and Curriculum Connections 

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When looking over my field notes and conversations that I had with both students and the community members, I came to the realization that gathering the town together is important to them. It was also important to for life skills to be taught within the schools to help students in everyday life and job training for those who are not college bound students. There was a limited connection with the curriculum because life skills were only taught to the special education students and not the entire school population. There are many ways that life skills can be incorporated across the curriculum in all grade levels.

After reviewing the Math, Science, ELA, and History curriculum for 9th grade, I was able to determine that there were many themes in the curriculum that connect to the values within the community. One of those themes was Sustainability, which can be done through the use of a greenhouse and gardening. This would be essential for the community because it would provide fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Currently in my school, we are teaching the students about gardening and how to sustain a greenhouse to provide food for those on a budget. Gardening allows real world opportunities and hands on lessons relating to plant growth and life cycles. Sustainability is incorporated in both the Science and Life Skills curriculum and the students are learning how to enrich soil naturally, recycling nutrients through composting, and conserving water. These are all important for the community since it is a low income town.

The Life Skills and Science curriculum reflect what I see in the community because the students are learning how to provide for their families and they are working in the community. There are so many ways that the curriculum and community are connected and can work together to help provide sustainability in a community garden that could be beneficial to the town. With low income families, a community garden would provide nutritious and healthy food allowing for a well balanced lifestyle.

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· Changing demographics due to low income (Section8/Renters)

·Vaping and drug use in and out of school

·Community values events and festivals

· Concerns about safe places for kids

·Disconnect between school and the community

·Unemployment/not many job opportunities

·Broken homes/families

·Crime

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Community Member’s Responses:

A.  Events that are important in our community are the Gloucester Catholic/Gloucester High Football games, the Lion’s Club Chicken BBQ, the Saint Patrick’s Day, Christmas, 4th of July Parade, Gloucester Day, Not Your Mother’s Music Festival, the Marc Ryan and Heroes to Hero 5K honoring our fallen firefighters and fallen soldier, fireworks, and the Pub Crawls.

B. Challenges in our community are the renters and people on Section 8 that keep moving into town and not taking care of the properties they live in. Declining property values and not a lot of job opportunities are also challenges the community faces.

C.  Something our community could benefit from is a program for kids they could attend after school to help with homework and offer activities for kids to help keep them out of trouble. Our community benefits from the Pride Program which is housed in both the Middle School and High School. It keeps the troubled kids from dropping out and staying on the right path. The community also benefits from having access to public transportation.

D. If I could bring the community into the schools I would like to see the community members discussing particular skills with the students and sharing their real life experiences. It would also be nice to as a community member to see more functional life skills being taught in the classes as well as more vocational training being offered to the students.

Student’s Responses:

A. Events that are important in our community are the parades, school musical, and the sporting events especially when we play our rival school Gloucester Catholic High School. The community really gets involved and comes out to show their support.

B. Challenges in our community are the drugs in our town and the crimes that occur because of the close proximity we are to Camden and Philadelphia. It makes it easier for the high school students to gain access to these drugs and bring them into the schools.

C. Something our community could would benefit from is a place where the kids can go to stay out of trouble and off of the streets because a lot of the kids have no one to go home to so they stay out late and usually end up getting into trouble.

D. We could get the community members into the school by allowing them to present to their job skills to classes and even teach some of the kids what they do for work. A lot of the kids in my school do not have working parents and could benefit from learning a trade.

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What events does the community engage in?

The Gloucester City community engages in a variety of events throughout the year. In the local newspaper, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade was highlighted as well as Gloucester High School Spring Musical. Many of the townspeople attend the parade because in Gloucester City everyone is Irish! Little Miss and Mister Gloucester City Contest is another event coming up as well as the City Clean Up day, an Easter Egg Hunt at the local ball fields, and a Fishing Derby. Throughout the year there are many parades and local events and activities for parents and children to participate. Just this past summer, the town hosted an event called Not Your Mother’s Music Festival, where different bands played, they had a children’s area with rides, food trucks, skateboarders, raffles, and even a superstar “Drake Bell.” The town also hosts a few different 5k races, one of those honors a local soldier who was killed in action and the other honors three local firefighters who lost their lives trying to save three little girls from a house fire on the 4th of July. The town really focuses on bringing the community together.

What are critical issues?

As of right now, one of the critical issues the town faces is the crimes that are occurring. The police department is finally working with the town in creating a surveillance camera registry system and crime map to help bring justice for the residents and business owners in town. The police are not aware who has potentially vital information that can help them solve these crimes. The residents and business owners are now able to register their security cameras and if a crime occurs around that area they are notified via email the date and time it occurred and the police ask for any video that could help them in their investigation. The police department also partnered with CrimeReports.com which notifies users if a crime occurs in their immediate neighborhood. Another critical issue is the flooding behind the middle school any time it rains heavily. The townspeople have spoken to the city council, but they insist it is the problem with the school district. When flooding occurs, 6th Street, which is parent drop off and pick up, is completely closed as well as the back entrance of the school. The city has made the side streets one way not allowing access for parents to pick up their children.

What can you ascertain the community values?

It appears as though the community values the safety of their families and the activities that are provided for them. Many of the families are low income and depend upon these activities to keep their children busy and give them an outlet to keep them out of trouble since there is a lot of crime where the town is located due to close proximity to Camden and Philadelphia. There are also Facebook pages that townspeople have created with resources to what is going on, where people can go for help with addiction, and even what goes on at local board meetings. The community really values each other and what goes on within the community.

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What do you already know about the cultures of the community?  What insiders do you know?
The community I teach in is Gloucester City, New Jersey. Gloucester City in located in Camden County and is approximately 2.8 square miles. It is situated near various highways such as: Routes 130, 47, 45, 42, and 295 as well as Interstate 76 with access to both the Walt Whitman and Ben Franklin Bridges into Philadelphia. Gloucester City is surrounded by local towns that include Audubon, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden, Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Mount Ephraim. The school district houses Pre-K through 12th grade. The elementary school houses Pre-K through 3rd grade, the middle school houses 4th-8th grade, 7th and 8th grade were taken out of the high school two years ago and placed in the middle school. The high school houses 9th-12th grade and is a receiving district for Brooklawn students who are at the high school level. The families in Gloucester City are from both the middle and lower class with a majority of the students receiving free and reduced lunch. The houses on one side of the railroad track are row homes while the other side of the track is single family homes. The town’s makeup consists of Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Asian families. Most of the students come from single parent households. I know many insiders from Gloucester City from parents, students, and staff members who live and work in the town.

What kinds of connections do you have with this culture?

I have many connections with this culture because I was born and raised in Gloucester City. I can connect with those who come from middle class families with both parents involved. I spend time in town visiting the park, where many of the families bring their children to play and watch the boats in the Delaware River. There is always something going on such as parades, festivals, music nights in the summer, and different community events that I tend to frequent as do most families in town. I frequent the local stores, businesses, and restaurants in town.

In what ways are you either an insider or an outsider already?
I am an insider to Gloucester City because I was born and raised here my whole life. I attended Gloucester City High School, where I now currently work, from 9th through 12th grade. I am a middle class working adult currently living in town and have a child who attends the school district as well. I am an insider with some of the local businesses because I know the parents who own them. I also know many of the students who come through the district because I had them when I worked the before and after school program, summer programs, and from seeing them in town. I can connect with some of the students because I came from a married, middle class working family. I am an outsider because I have a hard time relating to those who come from single parent households with siblings from different mothers and fathers.

What do you hope to find out about the community?

I hope to find out more about why some of the families choose to home school their children. I would also like to find out more about the diversity of the community since it has drastically changed since I was younger and went through the public school system in town.