...with the merging of two ideas. A teacher requested an outdoor classroom in the same week that a parent inquired about freshening up the landscaping in the front of the school. Our vice-principal, Andrea Fischer proposed that we work together to create an outdoor classroom at Bellewood. Karl Klinck of Orchard Farm Nursery, who is also a parent at our school, agreed to donate the design of the classroom. We met with students and teachers to find out what they would like to have in an outdoor classroom. We toured the outdoor classrooms of other local schools. We focused on making the design both eco-friendly and low maintenance, with a locally-sourced bent. We wanted to create something we could be proud of, something beautiful that would be used for years to come, but not something that would require a full time gardener to maintain. There were some great ideas and we ended up with a fantastic wish list! Karl incorporated the wish list into his design, and the gecdsb “eco schools: school ground greening process” was completed and approved. Phew!
Our design is beautiful! And big! To keep it manageable, we’ve divided the overall plan into three phases. The timeline will depend on the amount of help and money we have to work with. Today, we’re ready to start Phase 1.
Phase 1
Highlighted above shows the area that we will complete first. For a detailed description of the entire space, click on the link below. We’ll be reshaping the current landscaping across the front of the school, and creating a new space for our outdoor seating, chalkboard and eco signpost. New plants will be added, as well as defining the areas for the seasonal gardens, which are small open garden areas that classes may “adopt” for creative scientific or aesthetic experimentation. Two posts will be cemented into the ground to support our outdoor chalkboard (which we’ll make using cement board and paint). A third post will be added near the corner of the school to make the eco signpost. Once we’ve finished reshaping the landscaping and adding plants, we’ll add a thick layer of mulch, and large quarry rocks for seating.
To make a donation, or to help create this space, please contact us using the link below.
