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School Spotlight: Growing Together in Englewood Cliffs, NJ
School Spotlight: Growing Together in Englewood Cliffs, NJ
A beautiful fall day, two wonderful schools, and plenty of seeds of kindness to spread!
Earlier this month, our You Are a Gardener® crew headed to Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to kick off our 2026–2027 school assembly season!
We had the pleasure of visiting North Cliff School, where we connected with kindergarten through second-grade students, followed by Upper School, where we shared our gardening tools with students in grades 3–5.
From the warm welcomes to the thoughtful questions and enthusiastic participation, our visit to Englewood Cliffs was filled with memorable moments and meaningful connections!
A special thank-you to school counselor Shaina Doshi, whose thoughtful coordination and efforts helped bring our #PullYourWeeds® School Assembly to both campuses. From the welcoming staff to the incredibly polite, respectful, and engaged students, we couldn't have asked for a better start to the school year!
Our older gardeners especially impressed us during the Q&A portion of the presentation, sharing some of the most thoughtful and insightful questions we've ever received!
A New Season of Growing Together
This visit was especially exciting because it marked the debut of our updated #PullYourWeeds® School Assembly for the 2026–2027 school year!
As our assembly presentation evolves, Anna and Aidan are taking on new roles and bringing their own unique perspectives to the experience.
Gardener Anna is stepping further into the spotlight, taking a more active role in presenting and sharing her firsthand perspective on what it's like growing up a gardener.
Meanwhile, Gardener Aidan keeps everything growing behind the scenes, running our slideshow and stepping forward for a fox-tastic gardening tool demonstration!
One of our favorite parts of presenting as a family is giving students the opportunity to hear from Anna and Aidan. Their experiences help show that our gardening tools aren't just for the classroom. They're tools we can continue to use as we grow, at every age and stage of life.
A Little Retro Diner Delight Along the Way! 🍂
One of our favorite parts of visiting new school communities is discovering local hidden gems along the way. And if there's a classic diner nearby, you can bet Gardener Anna and Gardener Aidan will want to check it out!
Between our two assemblies, we made a stop at Jackson Hole Diner in Englewood Cliffs, a charming retro spot that felt like stepping back in time!
From the festive fall decorations and vintage camper out front to the old-school décor and tabletop jukeboxes inside, this diner was packed with nostalgic charm.
Exploring local spots, especially old-fashioned diners, has become a fun little family tradition during our school visits. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a bite, make a few memories, and recharge before heading off to spread more seeds of kindness with our next group of young gardeners!
Keeping the Growth Going Beyond the Assembly
The growing doesn't stop when our assembly ends!
Every #PullYourWeeds® School Assembly includes a collection of post-assembly resources to help teachers and school counselors bring our gardening tools into their classrooms and keep the conversations growing long after our visit.
For the 2026–2027 school year, we've refreshed and expanded these resources with even more grab-and-go printables, engaging activities, and classroom tools designed to make the Gardener Mindset™ easy to incorporate into the school day.
These practical, easy-to-use resources are included at no additional cost with every assembly, giving teachers and school counselors convenient access to activities that support continued growth in the classroom just one click a way!
And the best part? We're already hearing how these resources are taking root in classrooms!
We were especially happy to hear from Shaina after our visit:
"The resources were wonderful and some of our teachers have been implementing them in their classes. I plan to do some activities during my monthly lessons with the students as well. Thank you so much for sharing everything!" ~ Ms. Shaina Doshi M.Ed, LAC District School Counselor, Englewood Cliffs
Hearing that our gardening tools are already finding their way into classrooms and upcoming counseling lessons is exactly the kind of growth we love to see!
We're looking forward to hearing how these activities continue to take root throughout the school year.
Thank You, Englewood Cliffs!
You are gardeners!
To Shaina, the wonderful teachers and staff, and all the young gardeners we had the pleasure of meeting at North Cliff School and Upper School, thank you for helping us kick off our new assembly season with so much kindness, curiosity, and connection.
It was a beautiful fall day filled with meaningful moments, thoughtful conversations, and plenty of seeds of kindness.
We can't wait to see what grows next!
Is your school ready to bring the #PullYourWeeds® School Assembly to your students? 🌱
Let's spread seeds of kindness, grow emotional awareness, and inspire young gardeners with tools they can use in the classroom and beyond!
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