The Problem
Hawlemont Elementary School\\\'s outdoor classroom. Last year the Deerfield River in Charlemont MA flooded washing away the school\\\'s outdoor classroom.
Our Plan
Most students in 6th grade have been a part of their school community since they were in preschool. Our outdoor classroom is an important part of our learning space. This space was washed away by all the flooding we had over the summer. As 6th grade started their capstone project they realized the outdoor space was a place they would like to work on and bring back to their community which is used by the entire community in the center of town. Once 6th grade came up with the problem they wanted to fix, they worked on cleaning up the debris from the flooding. After that they measured the perimeter so they could design a “blueprint” of the area. They then worked in small groups discussing what they and the community would want in an outdoor classroom. Students also came up with a list of materials and cost. They knew they had a zero budget and tried to brainstorm how we could get materials without purchasing them. In January they presented their design to the town. The town brought the design to a meeting. The community was impressed with their ideas and approved their design which is now being displayed at the town office. 6th grade is now on step 3. They are taking action. They know this project will not get done by the end of the school year. They plan to work with this years 5th grade and present their plan so they can take it over next school year for completion.
Themes Addressed
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Collaborate
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Community
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Community Enhancement
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Compassion
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The Benefit
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People
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Here is how the project went:
Most students in 6th grade have been a part of their school community since they were in preschool. Our outdoor classroom is an important part of our learning space. This space was washed away by all the flooding we had over the summer. As 6th grade started their capstone project they realized the outdoor space was a place they would like to work on and bring back to their community which is used by the entire community in the center of town. Once 6th grade came up with the problem they wanted to fix, they worked on cleaning up the debris from the flooding. After that they measured the perimeter so they could design a “blueprint” of the area. They then worked in small groups discussing what they and the community would want in an outdoor classroom. Students also came up with a list of materials and cost. They knew they had a zero budget and tried to brainstorm how we could get materials without purchasing them. In January they presented their design to the town. The town brought the design to a meeting. The community was impressed with their ideas and approved their design which is now being displayed at the town office. Last years 6th grade ended on step 3, taking action. This is where this years 6th grade took over. I have been working with the 2024/2025 6th grade class regarding completing this project which will be presented at their spring open house. Students have been busy cleaning up the area, hanging hammocks, rope swings and courses, getting outdoor benches and tables ready for use with a chalkboard. We had a zero budget so we used the project grant to buy hammocks, paint, and swings. The students reached out to the community on all other items and were able to get them donated to us.
Through this project I/we learned:
I learned that even though it was a lot of work as an educator, the rewards were worth it.
What I/we might change:
We needed to work with the town to get approval since it is town land. The town said they would help us get supplies, which didn't happen and was frustrating to the students and staff working on this. In the future I would reach out to the community for support so we can get our project completed faster.
My/our favorite part of this project was:
I loved setting the hammocks up with the students. It was wonderful seeing them put thought into it. It was hard but they grappled through it. It was extra special watching them share the hammocks with the other students in the school.
Some tips, tricks or fun facts about the project:
Having adult community members was helpful. Community members helped pick up large/heavy supplies. Also, collaborating with the art teacher was a huge help as well.
