DAVID CITY – Aquinas Catholic Elementary in David City held a special dedication ceremony for their new outdoor classroom Sept. 9.
The classroom was designed for preschool through fifth grade students to experience, explore, experiment, relax and admire nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
“Every time you come out here and weed, plant, learn, and water you are creating with God,” explained Father Michael Ventre, chief administrative officer of Aquinas Catholic Schools.
With many different areas in the outdoor classroom, all students can find new and exciting ways to explore, play, learn, pray, and study. The centerpiece is a large tree with many climbing branches and a tunnel to crawl underneath. There is one class-sized learning space with additional small groups of ‘tables’ and ‘chairs’ scattered throughout the classroom. All the ‘chairs’ and ‘tables’ are made from logs cut by volunteers. Other areas to explore include an herb and vegetable garden, a sandbox, chalk art boards, and a Mary prayer garden.
Aquinas students, donors, and parents were in attendance for the dedication followed by strawberry shortcakes to celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sept. 8.
The classroom project began from numerous studies that prove outdoor classrooms provide numerous learning and physical benefits for students. Mrs. Mary Coufal, director of the Holy Family Early Learning Center, and Mrs. Sarah Zook, principal at Aquinas Elementary, attended a Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom Workshop in the summer of 2021. Then, Aquinas Elementary teachers Mrs. Rachel Wisnieski (preschool) and Mrs. Alison Fozzard (kindergarten) attended a Diocese of Lincoln early childhood workshop focused on the importance of children getting out into nature. With this information in hand, it was determined the lawn just outside the kindergarten wing was an ideal space to transform into an outdoor classroom.
“Until we started looking into nature classrooms, I did not know what a positive, powerful impact they could have on the brain for learning and for peace,” said Zook. “It really helps students to be able to focus on learning and charity when they have a solid foundation in the reality and beauty of God’s physical world.”
The project broke ground in the spring of 2022. It was funded by a grant provided by the Butler County Area Foundation Fund, generous donors, and a few “spirit day” fundraisers. Dozens of volunteers also made the classroom possible.
The outdoor classroom was ready to be utilized starting the 2022-2023 school year. So far, teachers report, it has helped facilitate learning in many areas of study, but especially in science and math when they explore the laws of nature. For the younger students, it has helped build fine and gross motor skills.
“My favorite thing to do at the outdoor classroom is to sit and listen to you read,” fourth grader, Harper Meysenburg, told her teacher, Ms. Patricia Koranda.
Fifth grader Jacey Kudlacek’s favorite part of being amid God’s creation “is the plants and the Mary statue.”
Students experience real joy when seeing and interacting with nature. The Aquinas Catholic seniors visited the kindergarten class, digging in the sand, exploring, and using nets to capture bugs. The giant log is a popular place for reading and climbing. Religion lessons are held in the outdoor classroom so the children can learn while appreciating God’s creation.
