St. John Of The Cross Parish

Maureen Colin
Principal - St. John of the Cross Parish School
Willow Springs, Illinois
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PONDS FOR KIDS
“The addition of the pond to the St. John of
the Cross Parish School courtyard continues to
enhance our environmental space. From the
involvement by our students, faculty and parents in the pond installation to the study of
water, plant, insect, fish and wildlife that has
become an important part of our science curriculum, children and adults within the school community continue to learn from our pond. It also
adds a sense of beauty and calm where time
may be spent reading a story, drawing a picture
or reflecting on the gift of the world around us.
Caring for our environment is critical to future
generations. Our pond and courtyard give us a
hands-on approach of learning to respect our
world and all that live in it.”
Ponds for Kids was initially developed by Aquascape, Inc., Inc. in
St. Charles, Illinois. Being a leader in the water gardening industry,
Aquascape, Inc. saw the importance of sharing this great hobby
with as many people as possible. In its attempt to educate hobbyists
around the country about water gardens, Aquascape, Inc. founded
The North American Water Garden Society (a non-profit organization) and donated its Ponds for Kids program. This new organization
would be designed specifically for the hobbyists, sharing the many
ways that people could enjoy this hobby. The North American
Water Garden Society has taken the Ponds for Kids program and
added some much needed content, systems & procedures… hence
this guide!
We hope you enjoy this program and are looking forward to hearing all about how Ponds for Kids has affected
your school!
This Guidebook is organized into 3 main components…
POND ACTIVITY GUIDE
•
This Activity Guide was written by teachers from many disciplines and put together by Brookfield
Zoo in Brookfield, IL.
•
A variety of activities that you can use “as is” or tailor to meet the needs of your students as you
explore your pond.
RESOURCES
• How to order a free Create A Paradise Video from Aquascape, Inc., Inc., which answers every basic pond question
you can imagine.
•
A resource list of other great programs, websites, and organizations that will assist you in making
the most of your new aquatic ecosystem
• The Pond Ecosystem Diagram
Special thanks to the following for their input and expertise in developing this wonderful program!
Ellen Beaulieu
Keith Winsten
Rick Osbourne
Julie Malis
Melinda Tury
Janet DeSilvestro
Debby Cornatchia
Judy Meehan
Erin Olsen
Layout and design by Icon Digital Design & Illustration, Inc.
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PONDS FOR KIDS
PLANNING GUIDE
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This section will take you through initial planning to the actual installation day. It is where you can
locate forms to use and modify for your program.
Creating a Pond Team
Who should be on the Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scheduling Your Pond Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
How does PFK fit in our school? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Finding a Ponds For Kids Network Installer
What is a PFK Network Installer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1
How to find a PFK Network Installer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1
Meeting with your Contractor
Pond location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Laying out the pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Determining Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Agreement forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Preparing for Pond Building Day
Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How to organize students, teachers and parent helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Some things students do best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Student Waivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Pre-teaching activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
Pond Building Day
Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Student, Teacher & Volunteer participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Follow Up
Follow up forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
www.nawgs.org PFK Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Start a Ponds For Kids Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
PFK Forums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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PONDS FOR KIDS
CREATING THE POND TEAM
It is important to create a team of key people to assist in the organization, execution, and
ongoing maintenance of your school’s pond. This team should ideally include at
least one teacher, one administrator, a maintenance or custodial staff member, as
well as the contractor with whom you’ll be working. The success of your Ponds for
Kids Program is dependent on this team.
Teacher ___________________________________________________________________
Administrator_______________________________________________________________
Custodial___________________________________________________________________
Contractor__________________________________________________________________
Student____________________________________________________________________
Other______________________________________________________________________
Other______________________________________________________________________
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SUGGESTED MEETINGS
• Initial meeting with Contractor
• Design pond and decide location
• Determine cost of material
• Determine time frame
• Electric & water concerns
FUNDRAISING & MARKETING
• Ideas to raise money
• Contacting school public relations
POND BUILDING LOGISTICS
• Agenda for day
• Organizing students
• Student waivers
• Pre-Teaching Activities
FOLLOW UP
• PFK Portfolio
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PONDS FOR KIDS
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SCHEDULING YOUR POND TEAM
The success of this program is primarily dependent on the team of people who are
guiding its progress. We suggest having at least three members on this team. It is
important to remember to involve representatives from teaching staff and administrative personnel, as well as the maintenance/custodial staff. Including someone
from each of these areas will help ensure the program’s success by making sure all
concerns and questions are answered.
OUR POND TEAM IS:
Teacher ____________________________________________________________________
Administrator ________________________________________________________________
Custodial ___________________________________________________________________
We recommend that the Pond Team schedule at least 4 meetings to ensure the
program’s success.
Meeting with the Contractor ___________________________________________________
Pond Build Preparation ________________________________________________________
Follow Up ___________________________________________________________________
Additional Meetings __________________________________________________________
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PONDS FOR KIDS
OUR MEETING SCHEDULE…
Initial Meeting _______________________________________________________________
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT PONDS FOR KIDS PROGRAM
WHAT IS PONDS FOR KIDS?
The Ponds for Kids program is designed to give children and young adults a working appreciation for nature and ecology. Additionally, other areas like art, creative
writing and poetry can be incorporated by respective teachers. The opportunities
are many and the ideas are limitless as to how a school can incorporate the Ponds
for Kids program into their curriculum.
WHAT WILL THE SCHOOL BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR?
The school will be responsible to raise the funds for the materials of the pond.
WHAT IS NAWGS & PONDS FOR KIDS RESPONSIBLE FOR?
NAWGS & Ponds for Kids will attempt to partner teachers and their students with
an experienced local contractor who may donate or reduce the cost of his time,
equipment and expertise to guide the participating students in the construction of
a functioning pond ecosystem.
HOW DO I FIND A CONTRACTOR IN MY AREA?
Ponds for Kids has a great group of contractors waiting to share their experience and enthusiasm with the Ponds for Kids Network Installer Program. Go to
www.pondsforkids.org and search for a contractor in your area. If you can’t find
one, you might try approaching someone who builds ponds in your area to help.
NAWGS does not in any way certify contractors, and you should interview them as
to their experience in building ponds.
IF A CONTRACTOR IS AVAILABLE IN MY AREA, WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
The instructions for building the pond, as well as the name of a local contractor
who has experience with this type of project, will be supplied by Ponds for Kids. The
contractor will work with the school on the installation of the pond and on possible
landscaping options as well. Ponds for Kids will work with the contractor to develop
specific installation instructions that will work best for the students and teachers
involved in the project.
HOW MUCH AREA WILL THE POND REQUIRE?
Ponds for Kids ponds are approximately 11’ x 16’ in dimension. It is not recommended
to go much larger since it would be difficult to construct a larger pond in one day.
The pond (including the waterfall) will require an area of approximately 20’ x 30’
once all the plants are added to the mix.
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PONDS FOR KIDS
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST FOR MATERIALS TO DO A PONDS FOR KIDS?
This cost is approximately between $2,000 - $3,000. Rock cost in your area can
directly affect this cost.
This fee includes…
• Rock and Gravel
• Liner & Underlayment
• Aquascape, Inc. Filtration System
• Aquascape, Inc. high efficiency submersible pump
• Piping and plumbing
HOW MUCH MAINTENANCE DOES A POND REQUIRE?
Once installed, the time required to maintain the pond will be approximately five to
ten minutes per week. It will basically involve dumping the leaves and/or cleaning algae out
of the skimmer basket. The primary goal of having a beautiful, crystal clear pond/
learning lab is achieved by making sure the aquatic circle of life remains in balance.
Under such conditions, Mother Nature does 99% of the maintenance work for you…
which is a lesson that can be taught and learned in a very hands-on fashion.
Yearly, it is also suggested that a pond be drained and cleaned (especially if it was
turned off for winter). This process is not mandatory each year, but dependent on
seasonal effects, debris in pond, and fish load. The cost for this service differs
(ask your contractor) and can also easily be completed your pond team.
WHAT IS THE ELECTRICAL COST FOR RUNNING THE PUMPS EACH MONTH?
The pumps are recommended to run 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The electrical
cost for running a high efficiency pump is approximately $20/month.
WHAT ABOUT LIABILITY?
The deepest point in the pond will be 24 inches, so liability is not a major issue.
However, there are certain criteria to be considered when choosing the placement
of the pond. For example, the location where students meet their buses would be a
high traffic area and therefore not a good location for the pond. Liability will have
to be discussed with the principal or the school board so that everyone’s concerns
can be addressed.
HOW MANY STUDENTS CAN WORK ON THE PROJECT?
The possibilities are endless. Suggestions for how to organize the students along
with what jobs are appropriate for each grade level are included in the PFK
Curriculum Guide.
IS THIS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDIA COVERAGE?
Absolutely! A sample press release is included in the PFK Curriculum Guide and it’s
a story everyone loves to cover!
WHAT ABOUT PARENTAL CONSENT?
Parents must give their permission for students to participate in a project of this
type. Parents must also give consent for pictures of their children working on
the pond to be published if this possibility occurs. The contractors will most likely
want to send out a press release about the project which will include pictures of the
students.
A parental consent form is included in the packet we send once we receive your
application for the program.
ABOUT PONDS IN GENERAL
• Watch the enclosed Create a Paradise Video
• Refer to Water Gardening Getting Started
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PONDS FOR KIDS
HOW LONG WILL THE POND TAKE TO BUILD?
It is suggested that the pond will take 1 day to build. (This may vary and your contractor should be able to give you a more exact estimate once you meet)
You will need at least one eight hour day for the staff and students who get
to participate by providing the hands-on elbow grease for the project. In the past,
we’ve found that the kids not only love the novelty of working together outdoors,
but they also take an owner’s pride in knowing it was their own sweat equity that
brought the pond to life.
FUNDRAISING
The cost of ponds differs due to many factors such as rock cost and site preparation,
as well as contractor’s time (if there is no contractor in your area willing to donate
their time).
Refer to Meeting with Your Contractor section (sample 11 x 16 costs).
PUBLIC RELATIONS
A Ponds for Kids Program is an ideal vehicle for great PR! Who doesn’t love a story
about schools, kids, environment, and great community service? Do not pass up the
opportunity to get awesome PR for your school, the community that may be helping
with funding, as well as the contractor assisting in having it all come together!
Many schools have their own public relations specialist, but if you’re on your own,
here is a checklist of some possible avenues of press as well as a few sample press
releases to modify and make your own!
• Local Paper
• Local Cable
• Local News
• Township Board
• School Board
• School Paper
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Each individual school is responsible for raising the funds to cover the cost of materials needed for the pond. Fundraising is a very important aspect of the project
and may be the most tiring. Since this is a school-wide project and all students will
benefit, the fundraising can be a school-wide effort. Some schools may have funds
available for use, but the use of these funds must be voted on and approved by the
student council or the school board. This might be the first approach to take.
Some other ideas that may help with funding are:
•
Contact your local city council. They may have an environmental fund that
is available for educational purposes. Some municipalities earmark funds for
education in ecology.
• The local forest preserve staff will likely be excited to help with funding since
they are dedicated to preserving prairies and wildlife and educating
the public on how to accomplish this. They may also help out with developing
the curriculum for students.
• There are many different types of student fundraising activities such as selling
candy or wrapping paper, or you may try to keep the fundraising related to
the environment by selling birdhouses crafted by the students. Again this is an
opportunity to get the entire school involved--the art department, the student
council, the science classes--in all grade levels.
• Fundraising does not have to be kept local. There are state agencies such as
the Illinois EPA which has grants available to schools for programs just like the
Ponds for Kids Program. Applying for grants does take time but your efforts
will be rewarded. Remember, the building of the pond is only the beginning;
the benefits will last forever. WHAT IS A PFK NETWORK INSTALLER?
Ponds for Kids has organized a professional network of installers to help make a
pond at your organization a reality. The Ponds for Kids Network is made up of
pond professionals who are willing to share their expertise, enthusiasm and services. Each Network Professional that you will see in the database has committed
to sharing their love of water gardening. NAWGS has not certified or trained any
of these professionals, since the program is voluntary. NAWGS does however suggest that when seeking out a professional to work with that you ask to see some
references and other work that they have completed.
HOW TO FIND A PFK NETWORK INSTALLER
It’s easy...Just go to www.pondsforkids.org and select the button that says “The
Ponds for Kids Installers Network”. There you will be able to search by state, in the
upper left section. You will also be able to see all the installers alphabetized by
state at the bottom. When you click on their name you will get this kind of
information returned to you.
Vought Water Gardens
Vought Water Gardens
Contact Name
S. Lee Vought, CAC
Address
Post Office Box 184
City
Decatur
State
Alabama
Zip
35602
Country
United States
Phone
205-87-WATER
Email
Mail@voughtwatergardens.com
Web Link
http://www.voughtwatergardens.com
How many miles willing to travel to do
a Pond for Kids
100 miles
How many Ponds for Kids willing to do
each year
50
Unfortunately, there may not be a PFK Network Installer in your area. We are
working hard at recruiting installers across the nation. If you find an installer on
your own please encourage them to sign up on the Ponds for Kids website so they
can share their talents with other groups.
It is up to you to make contact with a PFK Network Installer and develop that relationship. Please let us know if you have any significant problems with an installer
at 630-659-2144.
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Company Name
MEETING WITH YOUR CONTRACTOR
DETERMINING COSTS
It is recommended that a Ponds for Kids Program be conducted using Aquascape, Inc., Inc.
products as well as construction philosophies. The Ponds for Kids Program was donated by
Aquascape, Inc., Inc. to the North American Water Garden Society so its products and philosophies are referenced throughout the Planning and Activity Guide. These philosophies focus
on a balanced ecosystem, so in order to maintain the integrity for which it was intended, we
suggest using the Aquascape System.
LAYING OUT YOUR POND
(Your contractor will be able to assist you in designing the pond)
• By using a common garden hose, you can play around with the shape of the
pond, keeping it no larger than approximately 11’ x 16’.
• Face the waterfall towards viewing areas.
DETERMINING COSTS
POND PRODUCTS REQUIRED
Standard Biofalls
Skimmmer
15’ x 20’ Liner
300 sq ft. Underlayment
3,000 gph submersible pump
25’ of 2” flexible pvc pipe
Installation kit (foam, silicone, patch)
Water treatments
Various Sized Boulders 6 tons
Gravel 1.5 tons
Your contractor will share the pond costs after or during the initial meeting and you
will need to utilize the appropriate agreement forms that follow.
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Official Ponds for Kids Programs should be conducted using Aquascape, Inc., Inc. products as well
as construction philosophies. The Ponds for Kids program was donated by Aquascape, Inc. to the
North American Water Garden Society with the above stipulation in order to maintain the integrity that was intended for the program.
An 11’ x 16’ pond is suggested as the maximum size of a pond for the program.
This size may be modified for each program but will be our point of reference as
we discuss costs.
CONTRACTOR & SCHOOL
PONDS FOR KIDS AGREEMENT “SCHOOL FUNDED”
SCHOOL
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________________
CONTRACTOR
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email o Attach itemized estimate
Estimate Amount $_________________________
o Terms of reimbursement ____________________________
(i.e. Upon completion of the pond, within 10 days of completion)
o Signature of Agreement
School Contact SignatureDate
School Contact SignatureDate
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Name __________________________________________________________________________
PONDS FOR KIDS REIMBURSEMENT FORM
Submitted to__________________________________________________________________
(ie. School or NAWGS chapter)
SCHOOL
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________________
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________________
This form is to be completed by the person (Contractor) who ordered and paid for the materials that
were used in the construction of the pond in order to be reimbursed by either the school or the group
that donated the pond.
o Please attach copies of any invoices
o Please attach original agreement
o School Signature on PFK completion
Contact Person SignatureDate
Contact Person Printed
o Amount to be reimbursed to contractor
$_________________
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PONDS FOR KIDS
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CONTRACTOR
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CONTRACTOR & SCHOOL
PONDS FOR KIDS AGREEMENT “DONATION FUNDED”
ORGANIZATION DONATING MATERIAL COST
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________________
SCHOOL
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email
CONTRACTOR
Name __________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________________
o Attach itemized estimate
Estimate Amount $_________________________
o Cap of monetary donation to be reimbursed by donor $________________________
o Additional amount not covered by donor $_________________
Party responsible for additional amount____________________
o Terms of reimbursement ____________________________
(i.e. Upon completion of the pond, within 10 days of completion)
o Signature of agreement
Contact Person SignatureDate
Contact Person SignatureDate
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PONDS FOR KIDS
City, State, Zip ___________________________________________________________________
PREPARING FOR POND BUILDING DAY CHECKLIST
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PONDS FOR KIDS
o Agreements signed
o Cost of materials determined
o Electric located
o Water located
o Utility site inspected
o Site visit completed
o Location to dump rock determined
o Traffic pattern determined from materials to site (protect floors)
o Date set for PFK
o Public Relations set up
o Students and volunteers organized
o Waivers signed by participants
o Pre-teaching date scheduled
o Agenda created
o Refreshments ordered
HOW TO ORGANIZE STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS
There are many ways to handle the organization of students. Some schools simply use one classroom,
while others find a way to include every person in the school. The composition of each school usually
helps determine what works best. However, whatever you decide, just make sure you have a plan!
Refer to “Some Things Students Do Best” list below and “Sample Agenda” on page 15 to help prepare your plan. We have also included a couple of sample consent forms that have been used by schools.
These forms need to be modified to meet your needs. You may want to run your form past a school
official to make sure you have covered all bases.
Our Plan for student participation is…
Our plan for parent/volunteer participation is…
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PONDS FOR KIDS
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SOME THINGS STUDENTS DO BEST
Kindergarten – 3rd grade
1. Add gravel to pond
2. Spread mulch
3. Wash rocks
4. Plant aquatic plants
5. Install liner and underlayment
4th grade & Up
6. Lay out pond
7. Dig Pond
8. Move rock (size and weight appropriate)
-Suggest to groups “no bigger than softball, or no bigger than a volleyball.
9. Hook up skimmer and Biofalls® with professional
10. Finish edges
11. Retaining work
SAMPLE AGENDA
8:00 – 12:00
• Lay out pond
• Dig pond
• Install liner & underlayment
• Hook up skimmer
• Place rock in pond
• Wash rocks & start filling pond
12:00
1:00 – 4:00
• Build waterfall and stream
• Bring in topsoil
• Build retaining wall
• Finish edges
• Add mulch
• Turn on pumps!
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PONDS FOR KIDS
• Lunch
POND INSTALLATION PERMISSION FORM
My child, _______________________________________________ has permission to help with the pond
installation on ____________________ and wishes his/her name to be placed in the lottery drawing to
represent his/her grade level.
Date
Parent/ Guardian signature
Date
Please check below:
_____ I would like to volunteer to help with the pond installation on______________________________
_____ I am not able to help on installation day.
Signature
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Child’s signature
TM
CONSENT FORM
I hereby consent to my child’s participation in the Ponds For Kids Program,
sponsored by____________________________________________.
Date: __________________________
Parent or Guardian of Child
(Print Name of Child)
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PONDS FOR KIDS
Further, on behalf of my child and myself, I hereby release the ______________________________ (School)
and North American Water Garden Society from any liability, personal injury, or property damage,
regardless of the kind of nature that might occur from my child’s participation in the Program. Further,
I hereby consent to my child’s picture or likeness being published in any type of press release or photo
opportunity relating to the Program, if this possibility occurs.
PRE-TEACHING AGENDA
• What is a Pond?
• What is an Ecosystem?
Ecosystem poster
• Why would we want a pond here?
•W
hat are some ways we can learn from the Pond?
• How do you build a Pond?
18 Steps and materials used
• Watch Video
• Q & A game (candy give away)
• What do you think will be your favorite part?
• How Day will run
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PONDS FOR KIDS
liner
Skimmer
plants
Biofalls®pump
PVC pipe
ecosystem fish
underlayment
rocks & gravel
1. An _______________________________________ is a community of animals, plants, and the
environment all related to one another.
2. A ________________________________ pulls debris off the surface of the pond and it is also
where the pump is housed.
3. ______________________________keeps the water from seeping into the ground.
4. If the pond is at least two feet deep ___________________________ can survive in it all
winter long.
5. The ___________________________ is the biological filter where much of the bacteria grows,
and it is also where the waterfall starts.
6. A __________________________ moves the water.
7. _________________________________ are placed on top of the liner.
8. _________________________________helps keep the liner from getting punctured.
9. __________________________ brings water from the Skimmer to the Biofalls® Filter.
10. _______________________ are an important part of the ecosystem and also help keep the
water clear.
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FOLLOW UP!
Congratulations on completing a successful Ponds for Kids program! You have been key in adding a teaching tool that will be enjoyed and utilized for years and generations to come!
Please go to www.PondsforKids.org and submit a PFK follow up to our N. American Portfolio. It’s a
simple form that allows you to post a picture of your students by their pond, showcasing their hard work
and accomplishments.
We look forward to hearing your feedback and seeing the beautiful addition to your school.
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START A PONDS FOR KIDS CLUB
The fun of a Ponds for Kids event should only be the beginning. Keep the energy
going with a Ponds for Kids Club. They could help maintain the pond, educate
others on the pond, or simply feel part of the group! The opportunities are
endless! Ask your Installer if they would like to support your club, and attend
some meetings.
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