We had a great group of about 30 students give up their lunch hour this afternoon along with 7 teachers and 2 administrators, to provide some more personalized input on interpreting the survey results and how we might move forward. In groups of 3 - 6 students discussed their different perspectives on our outdoor space use and possibilities. Here is a summary of their contributions:
What is most important to you in our schoolyard?
Students also had the opportunity to sign up for a research, promotions, and publications committee. The promotions group will be meeting right away to build a bulletin board for the school in order to share some of our results.
What is most important to you in our schoolyard?
- Clem's Garden - it connects us with nature, because of the trees, because of the air
- Soccer Fields - open space to run
- Playground - lots of options
- Upper field - more contained place, different types of space, not dominated by the super active kids
- Organized games (grounders, infection tag etc.)
- Soccer
- Football
- Running around
- Building things
- Just playing
- Bigger Clem's Garden
- More trees
- More bushes on the upper field and near the playground
- Soccer nets
- Better cement near teacher parking lot
- More contained sports spaces
- More playground equipment (workout equipment, ropes course)
- Fix basketball court
- Smoother soccer fields
- Hills
- More rocks and stumps
- Better wall space
- Winter spaces
- More/improved areas to focus/concentrate/relax/sketch/read/journal
- Dedicated outdoor classroom space
- Sheltered space (like over the picnic tables) or a greenhouse connected to the science lab
- More diverse ecosystems
- More tools for outdoor study (science)
- Diverse equipment - lots of possibilities for play
- So many obstacles
- So many choices
- Places to "hang out"
- Because they've been properly introduced to it (we don't introduce other spaces the same way)
- Because it's the first thing you see
- Ropes course
- Different types of swings
- Biodiversity
- Treehouse
- Greenhouse
- Gazebo
Students also had the opportunity to sign up for a research, promotions, and publications committee. The promotions group will be meeting right away to build a bulletin board for the school in order to share some of our results.