You could be a Greenwich Point Ranger!

Have you completed the JR Ranger booklet yet at Greenwich Point?  It's fun and easy!  The full copy is available here:

JR Ranger Booklet (pdf)

More about the Program

Welcome to Greenwich Point! The Point is a wonderful place and one of our town’s most visited parks. It offers a variety of activities for the whole family including the opportunity to see and learn about a variety of natural habitats. The Junior Ranger Program is designed to help you do this. What is a Junior Ranger? A Junior Ranger is:

…an Adventurer

…a Learner

…a Seeker

…a Discoverer
…a Care-taker

A Junior Ranger could be…YOU!

To become a Greenwich Point Junior Ranger you need to:

 -JR Ranger Patch greenwichct.org

• Take the Junior Ranger Pledge (see last page).
• Complete the Ranger Safety page (page 3)
• Visit Greenwich Point at least twice and write about your visits on the journal page (page 7). 
• Attend a nature program at Greenwich Point. These are offered by many different organizations,including the Bruce Museum, Audubon Greenwich, the Friends of Greenwich Point, Soundwaters, the Shellfish Commission, the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, and the Conservation Commission. Check these organizations’ websites for upcoming programs.
• Complete the other activities in this booklet. Each activity is worth a certain number of slipper shells, which can be found on the upper right hand corner of each page. The number of shells you need to collect depends on your age.
• Sign your name on the last page and submit your completed booklet to the Conservation Commission to have your certificate signed and receive your official Junior Ranger patch. 

Before-school community walks

It's the perfect time of year to walk outdoors.  The exercise is great for your health, the seasonal changes are a pleasure to see, and the fresh air has been shown to improve your ability to learn!  If you can't walk to school for walk-to-school month, maybe you can invite families to come walk on the school grounds as a community event.  It's easy to organize, inexpensive and fun.

Here's an idea for a before-school AUTUMN-AIR-ATHON, complete with flyers you can print.
1.  Set a week or day where families are invited to come to school a half hour early.
2.  Set a safe route for the walk, around the field, or around the block, and mark it with signs.
3.  Volunteers have paper clipboards to mark how many laps are done.  Teachers, parents, siblings, even babies in strollers, they all count!
4.  Have a simple handout, such as a paper bracelet, that kids can show off.
5.  Try to reach a goal (such as a marathon of 26.2 miles) and celebrate when you do.

What kind of outdoor fun-runs and walks have you done with your school?

Garden Environmental Afters Program

The Garden Education Center of Greenwich is offering an environmental Afters program this fall.

 Garden Education Center of Greenwich 

A Non-Profit Organization 

130 Bible Street in Cos Cob, CT 

Wednesdays from September 25th through December 18th 

(12 classes; no class on November 27th) 

3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. for grades K – 3 

Weekly classes will follow the seasons beginning with nature hikes in the Montgomery Pinetum during Indian summer, harvesting bounty from the GEC's very own organic teaching garden, building teepees and lean tos in celebration of the Native Americans, bulb planting, crafting holiday ornaments and decorating a tree for the Enchanted Forest are some of the activities we have planned thus far. Each session will include a healthy snack. 

Fee: Members pay $275/Non-Members pay $335 

To register and/or become a member of the GEC: 

Visit gec@gecgreenwich.org or call 203-869-9242 

Link to pdf of poster

International walk to school partnerships

International Walk to School Day to develop classroom partnerships around the world. The article is below from Safe Routes to School:

 http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/2013newsletter/issue1/connect-with-walking-schools-worldwide

Using photos, videos, emails or Skype, classrooms can share what it's like to walk or bike to school in their community with peers around the world. Walk the Globe broadens perspectives and enhances school connectedness, all while motivating students toward active, healthy lifestyles.

Partnerships to start in October for International Walk to School month. These partnerships can last as long as you and your partner classroom would like. Learning about and connecting with another classroom makes walking and biking to school fun, educational, and memorable!

To learn more about Walk the Globe and how you can register, see the video and website at: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1uwzhUeMh0#action=share
www.dashbc.ca/walktheglobe