Many administrative offices and classrooms look out at this rather uninspiring courtyard. It seemed ripe to put to good use. Many schools in recent years have outdoor amphitheaters and we loved the idea, but there was one problem--ledge. As you can see on the right side of the picture, there's no way we'd be able to remove it. So, what do you do with a problem you can't move? You work with it!
We knew we were going to need some expert advice, so we enlisted the help of Woodside parents Lance and Donna Linkel of Cosmic Stone to help. They had many great ideas to help us expand seating and beautify the area while keeping it within our limited budget.
The great news was the ledge already had enough room to seat about twelve students comfortably. What we needed was to provide enough seating for another dozen students and a teacher. The Playground Committee took a field trip to Cosmic Stone and selected these flat pieces which could be made into simple benches.
Heavy stones require heavy equipment to move them!
Two other concerns with the project were drainage and making the outdoor classroom ADA compliant. This pathway was built to solve both of those issues. The path is covered in pea stone, which is fine enough for a wheelchair navigation. This curving garden border adds visual interest. Cosmic stone planted a few simple low-maintenance shrubs. We hope to fill out the border in the future with plant donations.
The ledge area can get hot and sunny during part of the day, so we added a Japanese maple to provide some shade. A few pines were added. As they grow, they will provide sound and wind protection and beautify the view both inside and out.
A few locally harvested stones were added to beautify the area. Our hope is that they will inspire students working in the art room and give our students an appreciation for Maine's geologic treasures.
Our outdoor classroom has already been enjoyed by several classes already. Here's to Woodside students spending more time in nature! Thank you Donna, Lance, Matt, and everyone at Cosmic Stone--you did a beautiful job! Woodside will enjoy this learning area for decades to come.
