Lockhart Students to Learn in a 'Living Classroom'

By Jessica DeStefano

The Parent-Teachers Association of the Raymond J. Lockhart Elementary School, together with the faculty, staff and the Massapequa School District have taken on the task of creating an "Outdoor Classroom" that students can use for scientific study in a natural setting.

A model of what the Discovery Garden at the Lockhart School might look like when it is completed. Plans for a weather station, gazebo, bird and butterfly gardens, and a sundial garden are underway.

Due to increased enrollment over the past several years at Lockhart Elementary School, it had become necessary to do away with the science room, leaving the science curriculum to be handled within individual classrooms. The new Discovery Garden will afford teachers a whole new way of stimulating students' imaginations, while they learn about the world around them.

"Every aspect of the curriculum can be enhanced through the garden," explained Donna Sullivan, one of the project's coordinators. "Along the way, students will learn about taking responsibility in caring for plants and animals, as well as gain self-esteem and confidence.

Plans to convert 4,200 square feet of an existing playground to a living classroom have been drawn up and include a pond, gazebo, greenhouse, and picnic tables. There will also be a hydroponics table, weather station, and butterfly and birdhouse gardens. Raised garden beds will be designated for each grade level, and mobile carts with binoculars, microscopes, observation jars and plant presses will be accessible. The environment will allow access for the handicapped. Proper fencing with locks, shrubs, electric and water lines will also be installed.

Since it is a significant undertaking, the project will require funds from all possible sources, including donations by businesses, civic groups, private citizens, and government grants as available. Currently, the PTA is running a brick fundraiser, offering the community a chance to purchase a brick with a personal engraving. The bricks will then become part of the walkway to the new garden. "This is truly a community project," Sullivan said," so the more help from the community we can get, the better."

With enough community support, the Discovery Garden would be completed as early as spring 2002. The garden will be developed in stages, proceeding as the funds become available with an anticipated start date of August 2001.

For more information, or to discuss ideas about how to make this garden a reality, call Donna Sullivan at 799-6218, or Linda Schwartz at 795-9384.