Sheridan Public School students have a 'wriggly' good time

Under sunny skies, amid the sound of singing birds and with a woodlot serving as a pretty backdrop, Sheridan Public School took the opportunity during Earth Week festivities to do, what else – explore earth worms.

With the help of the school’s ambitious eco-school’s team, parent volunteers Danielle Ferguson and Jodi McDaniel researched and brought in worms last Thursday morning (April 21) to help Sheridan Junior Kindergarten students learn all of the great stuff these wriggly, and yes, slimy creatures do for the environment.

It was, literally, a hands-on experience, as the students bravely and eagerly got up close and personal with the worms.

First, Ferguson and McDaniel explained to the students worm facts like how they have five hearts, no teeth, breathe through their skin and prefer dark places. The students gathered around plastic tubs full of dirt material and hundreds of worms as McDaniel picked up the worms to show the kids how they move.

The students were inquisitive.

“Can worms climb up walls?” asked five-year-old JK student, Jonah.

“You know, they can,” replied McDaniel.

“These worms are sooo cool,” exclaimed SK student, Elgin, 5.

Then came the time to begin the composting process. That meant placing the worms into jars filled with layers of sand, dirt and leaves for them to wriggle around to do what they mostly do best, compost.

Wearing plastic gloves, a few students were handed worms by Ferguson to be placed into a jar. Two jars were created and each was wrapped with dark paper to block out light.

One of the Kindergarten teachers, Jeff Stone, thought the morning went great. He was hoping the message got through that a healthy environment is dependent on all things big and small, like the beneficial work of worms.

“There are things I learned,” he said with a smile.

Sheridan students have been involved in collecting food scraps for composting through its GreenCart program. With the worm tunnel activity, they learned how worms are involved in the composting process.

The learning will continue as they see throughout the next few weeks how worms tunnel through the layers of soil and sand that the students helped create. They will see that the grass or "worm food" disappears, leaving compost behind as the worms do their important work.

Meanwhile, the composted soil will be eventually be added to 10 trees that are scheduled to be planted by the school today (Tuesday, April 27). The trees will be planted in the schoolyard as part of the EcoSchools School Ground Greening project. The goal for the school is the worm tunnel activity will provide students a better understanding of what compost is, how it is made and how it will help the trees.

The Metro grocery store chain has generously donated $1,000 toward the tree planting initiative.

Principal Malerie Borbath said the worm tunnel event would go a long way in teaching her students the value of all creatures.

“I hope they learned some interesting facts about worms, including where they live, what they eat, their role in the composting process and how they help humans and other living things,” she said.

The worm tunnel event was part and parcel of a weeklong emphasis on Mother Nature at Sheridan. Other activities included a presentation from Oakvillegreen for Grades 1-4 and a schoolyard cleanup, or what the school called a “20-minute makeover”.