Volunteers construct, landscape Outdoor Classroom for Midtown Elementary

MADISON – Real-life observations and teachers’ lectures are materializing in the Outdoor Classroom at Midtown Elementary School.

Midtown’s new space lets students gather outside to observe nature’s change of seasons and insects at work for food and shelter, while absorbing ideas from their teacher’s lessons.

“The PTA donated $20,000 to Midtown to create the Outdoor Classroom. They were involved in meetings with Alabama Outdoor Classroom to help develop the area’s plan,” Midtown Principal Savannah Demeester said. “A big thanks to Midtown PTA and President Allison Finley, along with others, for making this happen.”

“During the development process, the PTA helped to coordinate installing concrete walkways (for accessibility to all students), ordering building items, contacting volunteers and getting food donations for Build Day,” Demeester said. PTA members worked throughout Build Day and assisted April Waltz to complete the project.

“April Waltz, Outdoor Classroom Specialist with Alabama Wildlife Federation, created the outdoor classroom’s design and bill of materials. She held several meetings with the school and PTA to develop the stations that Midtown wanted in their Outdoor Classroom,” Demeester said.

With a plan defined, Walz advised about levels of volunteers. On Build Day, she directed volunteers to locations with tasks to complete. Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program’s website is dedicated to explaining learning stations and activities that teachers can pursue.

Students from Bob Jones High School’s Future Teachers of America Chapter, led by FTA Advisor Meagan Fleenor, volunteered for planting, stacking landscape pavers and other chores on Build Day. “They moved bricks, dirt, sand, mulch and put them in the correct locations and planted (most) of the plants purchased by the PTA fund,” Demeester said.

“A few of the plants included hydrangeas, blueberry bushes, hostas, ferns, milkweed and bee balm,” Demeester said. “We truly appreciated the extra help!”

The Outdoor Classroom’s components will include a songbird garden, frog and toad habitat, butterfly garden, log decomposition station, weather station and various plants. “Plans call for benches arranged in a teaching area for outdoor lessons and speakers,” Demeester said.

Waltz will guide Midtown to satisfy requirements for state Outdoor Classroom certification.

“Outdoor classrooms provide students a handson environment to enhance learning topics (in) the Alabama State Curriculum,” Demeester said. “Taking time outdoors improves mental health and allows children to take screen breaks. Offering our students (various) learning environments increases engagement and excitement for learning.”

Decomposition stations provide observation for extended time, while learning how natural cycles function in nature, such as carbon and nitrogen cycles. Students will learn about a vast array of decomposers by maintaining a rotting log learning station, compost bin/ pile or vermicomposting (worm) bin.

These agents include bacteria, fungi, arthropods and worms, along with organisms like salamanders, arthropods and worms that feed on decomposers.

The weather station has an anemometer for wind speed/direction, thermometer for temperature, hygrometer for humidity and a rain gauge for measurement. These easy-toread instruments allow students to record measurements.