What an exciting year we've had here at Peter Woodbury School. We hope you've had a chance to visit, plant, explore and play in our new community school yard. Volunteers from throughout the community came together over the summer to dig, shovel, plant, hammer and grow our new school yard from the ground up so that it would be ready for the children on the first day of school. Oh, how amazed the children were as they arrived at school on August 26th! There were so many exciting things to explore, climb on and discover. "Where is the tether ball"? "How did the gazebo get over here"? "Is that a teeter totter"? It was so great to see the children spread out across the schoolyard, from the basketball court to the sand pit, from the walking path to the raised garden beds.
During recess some children check on their class garden while others use watering cans to give thirsty trees and shrubs a nice long drink; other children race around the walking path or build fairy houses while others work diligently to move sand from one side of the sand pit to the other using donated sand toys. Children can also "check out" backpacks equipped with binoculars, magnifying glasses and books, to get an 'up close' look at creatures, trees and rocks discovered in the school yard. These packs are perfect for members of the 4th grade Bug Club who enjoy studying creepy, crawly creatures.
In September, families that wanted to leave a living legacy at Peter Woodbury participated in a Shrub-a-thon. Supporters could purchase various trees, shrubs, plants and flower bulbs to plant throughout the schoolyard. On September 20th, those same families gathered at Peter Woodbury, with shovels in hand, to plant their "shrub". What a great way to bring together the families of our school, add a needed splash of color and give the kids some ownership and responsibility for their school yard.
Plants and trees weren't the only additions this fall. In late September a tall wooden earth loom was installed near the gazebo. It didn't take long for a beautiful tapestry of long grasses, weeds and bark to spread across the loom. In October, a local girl scout troop visited the fairy garden area of the school yard and filled it with imagination and wonder. As students arrived at school the next morning and discovered numerous fairy houses among the trees excitement spread quickly among the children (and staff). In November, Artist in Residence Mark Ragonese (markragonese.com) visited with all of our third grade students. In just three days the students, with Mark's guidance, built three types of Native American dwellings...a longhouse, a wigwam and a teepee. These structures have added a special element to the school yard and provided the children with great places for imaginary play; numerous "fire rings" crafted of rocks and filled with twigs began to spring up around the structures almost immediately.
Now that it is winter and the school yard is covered in snow, don't think that all of these wonderful features are going to waste! One class of students planted "hardy" plants in a raised bed and covered the bed with a weather tunnel which helps protect the plants from severe wind, rain and frost. Other than evergreen trees, most children don't realize that you can grow some plants and vegetables in the winter. Look around, and you will find kids swinging and teeter tottering, racing around the "track" (aka the walking path) and playing inside the Native American dwellings. The baseball field has turned into a sculpture garden of various sized snow balls (Perhaps these snow balls come to life in the night as snow people?). Stop by the school yard in January and you might see your child trying out a pair of snow shoes on the walking path or sledding down our snow mound (affectionately coined by the kids as Mount Woodbury). This school yard was designed and built specifically to be a year round outdoor space for the children to enjoy, explore and serve as an extension of their learning inside the classroom. It has been a HUGE success!!
As wonderful as all these things are, there is MORE to come during the final phase (Phase II). Our outdoor musical instruments have finally arrived and will be installed in the spring, as well as a weather station awarded to 4th grade teacher, Mike Brown. We look forward to planting native plant species in the 'Monarch Meadow' that will lie just beyond the gazebo. A low wooden board walk and "covered bridge" will lead to the meadow. A large shade structure resembling a typical New England barn is to be built as an outdoor classroom, stage and gathering place. A labyrinth and human sundial are on the 'wish list' of possible additional features if we meet our fundraising goals in 2010.
Keep your eye out for more updates on what's to come in 2010. We truly THANK YOU for your continued support throughout 2009!
