The Boston Schoolyard Initiative recently visited Russell Elementary School to speak to physical education instructor Elizabeth Reynolds Lupo and science teacher Holly Rosa about how they've been inspired by the outdoor classroom (and by each other!) in their unique co-teaching classes.  

Several times a week the two teachers instruct classes together, creatively melding science concepts with physical education activities. This collaborative teaching opportunity, they say, has allowed them to enhance the learning experience of their students and to come up with new and fresh ideas. For them, a big part of the success of these co-teaching classes is being able to take their students to the outdoor classroom.

On the day of our visit, Reynolds Lupo and Rosa are outside with their kindergarten special education and ESL class. The topic of the class is shapes and the students begin by using their bodies to make squares, triangles, and ovals. The teachers then hand out buckets labeled with different shapes and bring their students into the outdoor classroom to collect and identify objects by their shape, reinforcing the same concept in a different way. The students are excited and engaged, and diligently investigate the outdoor classroom to find objects to place in the buckets. By twisting into shapes and moving around the OC, students get meaningful physical activity while also engaging in academics. Read more...   

The finishing touches are being put on the new outdoor classroom at the Henderson Inclusion School, and students are eagerly awaiting the final result. Principal Patricia Lampron passed along this poem written by 5th grader Michael Wuschke:  

Thanks for sharing, Michael!

PS- We just love seeing student work inspired by our schoolyards.  Teachers, feel free to share with us by emailing kristinmetz@schoolyards.org   

Boston Cares brings TLC to BPS   

Boston Cares, the largest volunteer center in New England, recently engaged 500 volunteers at the second annual Tech Gives Back Day earlier this fall.  More than 50 volunteers transformed the outdoor space at the Hennigan School in Jamaica Plain, painting fresh colors on the faded track, blacktop games, railings, and inspirational murals; and clearing out the overgrown jungle in the Early Learning Center garden.  The Hennigan schoolyard was renovated by BSI in 1998, and we want to give a heartfelt "thank you" to the many volunteers who keep our early projects looking good! Boston Cares and its partner companies have served at more than a dozen Boston Public Schools this year, bringing more than 1,000 volunteers and donated supplies to beautify and enhance learning environments.   

The National Teacher Institute for Garden-Based Learning  has created an interactive online class designed to offer educators the practical knowledge necessary for building and sustaining a school gardening program.  The next round of classes begins in January- to learn more or to register visit their website.  

maureenwhite@schoolyards.org