Rooted in Equity

Bryant Montessori School is located in a dense, urban neighborhood that lacks tree canopy. It serves a diverse community, including students who have little-to-no green space at home.

Our community designed and constructed our previous Outdoor Garden Classroom to address the problem of a crowded campus dominated by blacktop. The Outdoor Garden Classroom brought lushness to our campus, provided equitable access to the natural world, and the opportunity for our students to build and maintain something beautiful. The sense of community and purpose rooted in our gardens has been powerful to many of our students.

Restoring What's Been Lost

Due to the process of replacing our aged building, we lost a unique, treasured, and necessary feature of our school. It’s essential to the culture of our school that we meaningfully replace the Outdoor Garden Classroom. 

Rebuilding the Outdoor Garden Classroom is an opportunity for today’s students to learn, create and connect with the gardens the way past generations of students have.

Committed to Outdoor Learning

Our communities long-term and ongoing commitment to the Outdoor Classroom is reflected in our dedicated parent and teacher led GardenLeadership Team. Read the "History of the Garden" to learn more about Bryant Montessori's gardening roots. 

We trace our success directly to the fact that our community designed our last Outdoor Classroom based on what our students needed, and together we built it with our own hands. Our model of garden stewardship—grounded in doing the work we care about—has meant the Outdoor Classroom has been continuously maintained and well used by students. 

The Garden Team intends to partner with—and physically involve—the Bryant Montessori students in rebuilding their Outdoor Classroom, because “The Work is The Learning.”

Designed with Purpose

Our community intentionally designed our new Garden, according to our students needs and in conjunction with the rebuild of our school. The new design integrates features from the old Outdoor Classroom with fresh input collected from students. 

Learn more about the essential features of the Garden in, "A Vision Built Through Community"

The district has granted us 6,000 sq. ft. of space for our new Outdoor Classroom! The TPS rebuild will furnish the Outdoor Classroom space with level topsoil, several water spigots, and a storage area. It's up to the Garden Team and our community partners to source all of the materials necessary to complete our communities vision. Together we will build a garden that serves our students in impactful way!

Thank you for supporting the Outdoor Garden Classroom
The Garden Leadership Team  |  gardenleadership@bryantPTO.com  |  360-202-2004

The Outdoor Garden Classroom is part of the Bryant Montessori PTO, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 80-0079595

 

Funding our future garden

 

In order to build our new Outdoor Garden Classroom, the Garden Team is raising funds to pay for fencing, arbors, garden soil, paths, new plants, raised beds, garden art, water collection and an irrigation system. 

As a community we need to raise $65,000. The Garden Team is accepting funds now — and taking pledges of time, materials and other resources — for construction in the fall. Our hope is to fully fund the garden by August 1, 2024.

 

Can you donate to our garden?

1. By mail: “Bryant Montessori PTO-Garden” P.O. Box 6862, Tacoma WA 98407

2. PayPal.me/BryantGarden

3. Via the PTO drop box: Located in the office at school (please mark your donation "Garden")

 

Making connections: who should we talk to?

Do you know of someone who could support our project? Either through giving funds or in-kind donations. Fill out our peer-to-peer connection survey: https://bit.ly/peer-connection

 

Materials needed:

 

        $1 - gets 1 sq. ft. of sprinkler system (we need 6,000 sq. ft.)

      $10 - gets 1 sq. ft. of pavers (we need 650 sq. ft.)

      $15 - gets a small plant or cedar post (we need 60 posts and many more plants)

      $30 - gets a yard of sand (we need 10 of them)

      $35 - gets a yard of dirt (we need 60 of them)

      $40 - gets a yard of gravel or stone dust (we need 40 of them)

      $50 - gets a large plant or shrub (we need approx. 200 of them)

    $100 - gets a tree or rain-barrel (we need 30 trees, 6 rain-barrels)

    $250 - gets a raised bed (we’d like 20, one for each class)

$1,500 - gets a mural or bear sculpture (we’d like both)

$3,000 - gets enough clay for every student, to make a pottery piece for the garden.

$10,000 - gets a fully fenced garden, to keep our students & garden safe.

 

Expertise needed:

 

Irrigation installation: We want to install irrigation for the garden. Can you design it or help us build it?

Contractor: We are required to install ADA accessible paths. Can you help us build them?

Fencing & construction: We must fence in the garden for safety reasons. Can you help us build our fences?

Landscaper: We would like to build a low wall to support elevation in the garden. As well as lay several areas with pavers.

Artists (sculpture, tile, mosaic or glass): We would like to partner to design a “birthday circle” experience into our Full Class Circle Gathering Zone, as well as add other art to the garden. 

 

Priority plants:

 

Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ (Persian Ironwood) tree

Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’ Japanese Maple (3)

Stark Scarlet Spire
(Columnar) Apple Tree (2)

Stark Crimson Spire
(Columnar) Apple Tree

Stark Emerald Spire
(Columnar) Apple Tree

Stark Maypole Flowering Crabapple

Cedar Tree

Pinus Sylvestris Gold
Coin Pine

Pinus Mugo Mountain
Pine (3)

Hinoki Cypress

Mountain Hemlock (3)

Red Twig Dogwood (5)

Evergreen Huckleberry

Philadelphus lewisii Mock orange

 

 

Thank you for your support!
The Outdoor Garden Classroom is part of the Bryant Montessori PTO,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 80-0079595.

 

 

What's happening in our garden?

 

Self-Guided Mindfulness Labyrinth | Jan. 2024

During our first January “Open Garden” students put together a labyrinth spiral of greenery in the open garden space. We designed a self-guided experience for classes to participate in. To participate students first select a pinecone or pumpkin, and then walk into the spiral and think about what they learned during 2023. On their way out, they are to think about their intentions for 2024 and then somewhere along the way leave their token in the greenery to mark their journey.

 

Snowflake Masquerade Recap | Dec. 2023

The Garden Team would like to thank our community for your magnificent support of the Snowflake Masquerade Garden Fundraiser event. 

December 15th was a magical evening filled with crafts, dancing, toys and treats! Together we raised $724 for the new school garden!! 

Thank you to the middle school volunteers who ran the event, selling tickets, managing the toy shoppe, handing out cookies and supervising the Switch & purse raffle. 

We also had help from multiple parents to set-up the amazing snowflake dance floor, create signage, organize the shoppe, supervise and clean up after. 

A big “THANK YOU” to Alison Dodge, Sarah Holm, Drew Kerlee, Mike Figueroa, Sharon McCardell, Gabe Moaalii, Jenifer Davis, Heidi Wygle, Maureen Pasi, the Mitchell Family, the Royston family and numerous others that all pitched in to help. 

Our big winners for the raffle were: Brooke (purse) and Olivia (Switch). 

We’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our event partners. Remakery for the amazing snowflake mask craft, Bryant Montessori PTO for the pizza and sound equipment, The Ballet Theatre School for the snowflake ballet performance, Jenifer Davis for the pottery exhibit and everyone who donated toys and cookies. With your support, this event was truly magical! 

Ms Poole’s class put together a beautiful bulletin board of photos from the Snowflake Masquerade. The board is located just outside the library entrance, in the elementary wing, go check it out!

 

Lavender Satchels | Dec. 2023

Mr Wilson’s class worked with Ms. Sarah to create 100 little lavender sachets to be included in the gift shoppe at the Snowflake Masquerade. Students harvested the flower portion off of the stem, filled little bags and tied on tags. 

 

Wreath Sale | Dec. 2023

Early in December, Garden worked with Laurie Sukola’s Friday morning middle school science class to create swags and wreaths to sell to raise funds for the new school garden. Parent volunteers, Devon & Chris Clappe also joined us for Open Garden during recess and helped students paint laurel leaves to create beautiful pinecone poinsettia flowers. Ms. Sarah sold the wreaths, swags and flowers informally off the school fence during pickup and drop-off times. Thank you to everyone who purchased greenery, together we raised $284 for our new school garden with this event!

 

Herb Bouquets for the Thanksgiving Baskets | Nov. 2023

Middle school students harvested and assembled over 32 herb bundles from our school garden and during “Open Garden” elementary students drew beautiful tags to tie onto them. The bundles were included in the Thanksgiving baskets put together by PTO and given to families in our community. 

 

Unveiling the NEW Garden Design | Nov. 2023

The Garden Team has approved a design for our new Outdoor Garden Classroom! Check out the New Garden page on the PTO website or stop by our bulletin board at school (near the office) to see the plan. Thank you to our entire community for your contributions to this process. The new Garden is based entirely on all of your ideas and the input received. The Garden Team feels it will serve our community well. We have work to do this year to raise funds to pay for this amazing garden. Our fundraising efforts will kick-off in December. The Garden Team is greatful for your support!

 

Rain Garden | Nov. 2023

Last year our students identified an area at our temporary campus outside our gated garden that floods significantly when it rains. Garden Team has been working towards installing a rain garden in that area, we applied for the Clover Creek Watershed Grant and were awarded $2,000 for this project! 

Garden Team partnered with Pierce Conservation to submit a proposal to TPS for the project, we are still waiting to hear back. Meanwhile, our middle school students completed a soil infiltration test and have begun to work on a design. Once we have TPS Maintenance approval our students can start work to build it, likely in the spring. 

This rain garden matters, because it’s a chance for Bryant Montessori students leave our campus better than we found it and to share a gift with the schools after us. The rain garden has the potential to provide educational experience to three different schools! Bryant Montessori middle school science & math students will design it, and work with elementary students to build the garden. Bryant Community will care for it through Summer 2024. Then we will give the garden to Lowell Elementary, who will care for it for two years before they pass it on to our neighbors the CBT (Community Based Training).

 

Wonderful Worms | Nov. 2023

Several classrooms at Bryant have become caretakers of “worm bins”. These bins filled with live worms (and other compost critters) are teaching tools that enrich the concepts of habitat, ecosystem, decomposition and nutrient cycling. The worms have become class pets that are quiet and tame, but work just as hard as the students! These worms turn fruit and veggie food scraps into nutrient rich compost for our garden! Want to learn more? Check out these resources: https://www.piercecountywa.gov/1562/Composting

 

Seed Saving | Nov. 2023

During conference week in November, elementary students worked with Garden to sort and save seeds from our garden. Thank you to our parent volunteers, Christina Nicholson and Devon Clappe for your support. Students packaged up 500 packets of seeds for the new garden! We have more than we need. There will be an opportunity this winter for families to make a donation to our garden in exchange for some of our seeds. Stay tuned for that. Meanwhile you can visit our garden bulletin board in the elementary wing of the school across from the library to see some of the students work. 

 

Open Garden | Nov. 2023

Every Friday, Garden Team unlocks the garden at recess from 12:15-1:30pm and students have the opportunity to choose garden for recess. This fall we’ve had wonderful volunteer support from parents. Thank you Christina Conant and Sharron for supporting Garden Team with this work. Recess kids have harvested strawberries, tomatoes, peas, beans, pumpkins, radishes and corn, all mostly for seed. We gathered seed for zinnias, calendula, lady in the mist, marigold and sunflowers. They designed scavenger hunts and made pinecone bird feeders and fall leaf crowns. If you have any fun ideas for garden activities, or if you’d like to join us text Sarah Holm at 360-202-2004.

 

Thank you Bryant Garden Summer Watering Volunteers! | Sept. 2023

The Bryant Garden Team thanks volunteers who helped keep our garden watered this summer! We couldn’t have kept the gardens green and ready for students to return this fall without their help. If you are interested in learning more about the Bryant gardens or are interested in getting involved, please reach out to: gardenleadership@bryantpto.com

 

Thank you for supporting the Outdoor Garden Classroom
The Garden Leadership Team  |  gardenleadership@bryantPTO.com  |  360-202-2004

The Outdoor Garden Classroom is part of the Bryant Montessori PTO, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 80-0079595