Kildonan uses local farm for classroom projects

AMENIA — Over the past year students from The Kildonan School have been traveling to McEnroe’s Organic Farm, keeping very busy, getting their hands dirty and picking up some real-life agriculture experience along the way, which they then take back to apply to their classroom studies.

Two groups, one with fifth-graders and the other with grades two through four, have been traveling to McEnroe’s farm for the last nine months every other week, learning the ins and outs of the local agricultural model. Meanwhile, back at the school, the students’ classroom studies in science and art have revolved around applying their experiences.

“I think it’s making something tangible,†said Frances Borden, who is co-director of the elementary school. “It’s an amazing way to teach all this stuff. We talked about water cycles, geology, and geography; when the kids have it in their hands and eyes and ears it becomes a memory.â€

On May 29 the year-long field trips culminated with the students presenting to McEnroe’s a replication 40-acre sustainable farm, constructed from  paper-mâché and built using the information they’ve learned over the course of the year.

“The children learned how to make topographical maps,†Borden explained. “They learned where to put things. They mapped out rain runoffs, for example.â€

The display was presented to Suko Presseau, who is head of McEnroe’s education program and has been the guide for the Kildonan students over the last year. Demonstration gardens, hay, animals, a greenhouse, compost gardens and much more were meticulously crafted and built on the model.

“You guys really learned so much,†Presseau said. “I’m so impressed with this.â€

The trips also tied in with art instructor Todd Titone’s classes, where the students built two large installation pieces over the course of the year. The first was a wall-sized bee hive; the other is an enormous installation called the Geisel Greenhouse, in honor of Dr. Seuss, from whom the students drew much inspiration.

The theme of environmentalism and sustainability, which the students picked up from their time at McEnroe’s, struck a chord with Titone. The greenhouse, which takes up an entire room and is built completely with recycled materials, is a giant amalgamation of sight and sound. Large canopies provide cover, giant stalactite-like protrusions hang from the ceiling, stereos emit strange sounds and TV screens continuously play animation and nature scenes. The students slowly built the “greenhouse†from scratch throughout the spring term; however, a “greenhouse†only begins to describe the installation.

“It’s very hands-on and visual,†Titone said. “It’s good when they’re using their senses. They really built a whole atmosphere here.â€

The installation was opened in time for the school’s Founders Day, and will be left up throughout the summer. Then it will be taken down and Titone will recycle the materials into the art department’s next project.

“Every year is different,†he said. “Whatever’s catching my eye in another class I try to bring in here.â€

While the installation is not part of an art gallery that has public hours, calls can be made to The Kildonan School, a coeducational day and boarding school for children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. It is located on Morse Hill Road in Amenia. More information can be found at kildonan.org or by calling 845-373-8111.