The math, science and CTE departments are in the process of improving an outdoor area, behind the library, for classes to use.
The project started off with the Lowe’s hardware store grant that awarded the school with $5,000 to spend over the course of a year.
“It would’ve been spring of 2014, Mrs. Bertermann and I applied for a grant from Lowe’s. They give these $5,000 grants out to every school who applies with a good idea for a construction project, some project that will utilize the items in their store,” said math department chair Kim Johnson.
The environmental science classes are responsible for picking out plants to bring more life to the land behind the library.
“Mr. Roberts is taking care of the environmental piece, with the plants and how their growth can be successful and which native plants we can use because we want to make sure we bring more diversity to the wetlands in that area as well,” said CTE and science department chair Laura Bertermann.
Students in regular geometry took part in creating the layout for the future outdoor classroom.
“The primary components that geometry classes are responsible for would be seating and planters. The students have a style they like, and they created a layout for them,” said geometry teacher Thomas Iverson.
The geometry classes have chosen their classroom winners, and the school will select the
top three, and eventually the winner.
“After the classroom vote, there were approximately 15 total designs. We’re going to do an online vote, so all students, all the staff, all community members have a chance to vote for their favorite design,” Johnson said.
Once the vote is tallied, the students of the specified classes will go out and do their part for the outdoor classroom.
“At the start of May, we’re looking at approximately May 4, depending on weather, to start construction. At that time, it’s going to be all geometry students and all CTE students. They’ll go out in small groups and actually build the furniture,” Johnson said.
At the end of this project, the hopes are that the space will be used next year as a place that teachers can check out for their classes.
“We were looking for something that we could provide for the school that teachers would have access to as an additional space that they can check out for kids to enjoy nature and learn in a different environment,” Bertermann said.
Lowe’s gives the schools a year to bring this idea to life, after which the members need to send back the process using video, pictures, or a normal journal.
“We are required to answer back to Lowes when we finish. As part of that grant money, the requirement is that we get back to them with either pictures or a video, some sort of a journal about the whole journey it took to get to the end result,” Johnson said.