Dear Friend of Nature’s Classroom,
Exciting things are happening! The Durand School partnered with Durand Charm to develop Nature’s Classroom, which is an outdoor learning space located near the Ed Johnston Prairie, southwest of the school. The goal of Nature’s Classroom is to provide Durand students and its community members with the many benefits of outdoor learning, including:
- Increased motivation
- Decreased stress levels
- Better health
- Better student grades
- Improvements in overall behavior
- Enhanced communication skills
- Increased self-reliance
- Better attitude about the environment
- Increased outdoor awareness
The idea came two years ago from Mrs. Drews’ sixth-grade class, who has since received approval from the School Board and came up with ideas for the layout and features of the outdoor learning space.
Students in grades pre-K to 12 will benefit by having an outdoor learning environment in which they can learn not only alongside nature but also about the natural ecosystem in which they live. Teachers will have a place to bring their classes for lessons and space will further strengthen the ties and bonds between the school and community.
We have already received so much support from the community during the design process, from donated landscape design to memorial plaques, to grass seedlings, and excavation. The project will continue to be built upon by the donations of community members’ time, labor, resources, and funding.
Our goal is to raise $10,000, which will allow us to plant native trees, provide benches for seating throughout the space, and complete the development of phase one of the outdoor learning classroom by Fall 2019.
We hope you will consider supporting Nature’s Classroom by donating today. For more information on how to give, please see the attached donation form.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mychael Drews
Sixth Grade Teacher