LGUSD Full STEAM Ahead?? We're not trading SEL for a vacant "outdoor classroom", are we?

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What started out like this in September 2018...


was transformed by March 2020 into this...




THIS. IS. An outdoor classroom.

There is no mention in the presentation materials about Van Meter's Full STEAM Ahead Project. What's the plan for this courtyard space outside of Van Meter's STEAM lab??

Hopefully, what was there pre-Covid is being preserved or at the very least its spirit and benefits are preserved by intentionally reproducing them elsewhere on campus. While a Life Lab space is in the Van Meter design plans, I'm not sure it fully accomplishes the same thing all on its own. Background: Mrs. Hill was awarded a grant by CTA's Institute for Teaching and invested massive amounts of her personal time building out that courtyard into a beautiful and lively space for our kids featuring a garden, a nasturtium tipi, blueberry bushes, a cozy seating area with a whiteboard, wildflowers, a root viewing box, and more. And she had exciting plans to incoporate a mural of student art. The space served a host of academic purposes but, in my mind, even moreso a host of SEL (social emotional learning) benefits... Kids looked forward to going over there during recess and lunch to explore, experiment, help out, but also to connect socially in a place where they felt they belonged, a place to connect with trusted adults. Time and again, you hear from grownups who work in school gardens that these spaces serve as a refuge for: - kids who don't fit the mold, - kids who less easily connect with their peers, - kids who might be more introverted, - kids who aren't interested in playing soccer or tag out on the field, - kids who can't deal with the chaos of the wild, busy, main playground space, etc. The real key to unlocking the SEL benefits of a space is WHO is in the space. Gardens work. So would inviting spaces to eat. So would inviting spaces to read. So would inviting spaces to craft. We've identified as a community via the recent LGUSD 5-year strategic planning process that OBJECTIVE #1 = "All students will learn in an environment that prioritizes the importance of social emotional development". So as you review the schematics and imagine how our campus landscapes will be utilized by staff and students, consider whether there's more we could do with our spaces to foster for our kids these invaluable connections with trusted adults. How do we create spaces on our campuses so inviting that students, volunteers, teachers, and other site staff look forward to congregating there even during their work breaks? Let's be sure we are balancing our need for vacant/flexible "outdoor classrooms" with outdoor areas that could better support the fundamental tenet of Project Cornerstone... that every child should be made to feel valued, respected, and known.