School accepts outdoor classroom grants

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

The McCook Public Schools accepted grant funds Tuesday evening for outdoor classrooms proposed at McCook elementary schools.

East Ward second grade teacher Kim Johnson told board members that grant applications to fund the outdoor classroom proposals have been approved by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum ($,8000) and the Middle Republican Natural Resources District ($3,000).

Johnson said she plans to start at East Ward, where the proposed classroom will cost $13,846.04 -- $11,000 of which is covered by the grants. Johnson said the value of in-kind volunteer time is estimated at $2,050, which leaves about $800 unfunded. With plants purchased at a discount at a local garden store and with other donations of plants and/or tools, Johnson figures the outdoor classroom can cost very little to the school district.

The board will pay for classroom expenses initially, Johnson said, and then costs are reimbursed with grant funds.

All plants proposed for the classroom are drought tolerant, Johnson said, and will require little water and maintenance.

Johnson said offenders from Nebraska's Work Ethic Camp will tend the gardens during the summer, when students are not in class.

Johnson said the grants require public access to the gardens, which Superintendent Dr. Don Marchant said is the district's intent with playground areas during evening hours and on weekends.

Board vice president Jim Coady moved to accept the grants, which gratitude for the funding and for Johnson's efforts to plan the classrooms and write grants.

Johnson said the goals of an outdoor classroom include:

- Increasing public awareness of environmental issues through student, parent and community involvement.

- Promoting positive environmental practices through the use of xeriscape plantings, composting and organic gardening.

- Creating outdoor education sites on schools grounds.

Johnson said the outdoor classroom will support cross-curricular education, such as:

- Physical science: weather, climate, seasonal concepts.

- Life science: plant and animal sciences, communities and populations, ecological systems and cycles, animal tracking.

- Earth science: soil studies, water cycles, geology.

- Mathematics: counting, graphing, shapes and patterns, problem solving.

- Language arts: creative writing, oral presentations, public speaking.

- Art: rubbings, leaf and flower printing, textures and patterns.

- Social studies: prairie and native grass studies, Indian studies, Nebraska rivers and geographical features, map skills.

- High-ability learners: botany, biology, zoology, chemistry, geometry, algebra.

Johnson said the locations proposed for the classrooms can best be described as "noxious weed identification plots," with small populations of insects.

"Our goal is to increase the variety and species of native plants and grasses, xeric plants, berry-producing shrubs and trees, while further enhancing the sites through a beautification process and habitat improvement projects," Johnson said.

Weeds and any existing turf grasses will be eliminated, she said, thus eradicating the need for chemical applications. Plans for the East Ward site include plantings from asters to zauschneria, a bird bath, storage shed, bamboo fencing, a weather station, a drip irrigation system, hummingbird feeder, ladybug condo, squirrel lunch box, wren kits, bat houses, butterfly houses and picnic tables and benches.

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