Edible Schoolyard

Nine years ago, one dream was realized as Valley Montessori School students eagerly moved to a brand new school, a stunning hilltop campus situated on six acres of fertile land. Where else can you capture the panoramic view of the entire Livermore Valley, Mount Diablo, Brushy Peak and Mount Hamilton? We’re so fortunate to be surrounded by this open space, a wonderful resource for a child’s experiential learning. It is this incredible land that is about to be transformed by VMS children, teachers and parents into an outdoor classroom.

With enormous enthusiasm, VMS has kicked off yet another dream: our first Edible Schoolyard. VMS faculty has joined with a sizeable group of enthusiastic parents to begin planning a garden that will be planted, cultivated and harvested by our VMS children, all to promote a better understanding of healthy eating and living.

How can you support the Edible Schoolyard project?
    •    Join our garden committee and receive updates on projects, volunteer opportunities and participate in meetings. E-mail if you are interested in joining the committee.
    •    Regularly visit our Edible Schoolyard web page to keep updated on our project
    •    Share resources with the school that support the Edible Schoolyard Project
    •    Contribute to the Annual Fund. Your donation can be designated directly to fund our Edible Schoolyard Project.

Elizabeth Brice, VMS Director of Development, along with a hardworking team of volunteers, is busy applying for several school garden grants. We hope to maintain a stream of funding to assist in maintaining the project over the coming years.

We have begun Phase I of our Edible Schoolyard on the very top of our hill, a location with an amazing view of the valley. This first phase will include 10 raised garden beds, pathways, irrigation and a composting center. As we begin this project, we want to keep in mind the importance of involving our students in every aspect of the process. Thus, our planning and preparation is key to building the excitement we expect from students when they are asked to “dig in” and get their hands dirty, and become an integral part of the VMS Edible Schoolyard project.

With luck, the weather will hold for the next few weeks as we begin construction of the raised beds and composting area.  We hope to have our first family workday in December. Look for the announcement.

We’re very excited about the Edible Schoolyard project. Please consider joining in this wonderful, new journey with the children.

For further information,
contact Ann Clark, Associate Head of School
e-mail

Inspirational photos taken at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Berkeley, California.
The first Edible Schoolyard founded by Alice Waters.