It’s not often that elementary school students take on a task of this calibre.
Grade 7 and 8 students of Iron River School are ready to overcome any challenges to get their natural playground started.
“It gets us ready for the real world and will help us with our jobs in the future,” said Nathan, a Grade 8 student who, as part of the project team, has been tasked with talking to landscapers and gathering ideas from the community.
Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) recently upgraded the exterior of Iron River School. Maintenance crews have landscaped two of the wings, but now it’s being turned over to the students and staff for completion.
“We’re just kind of taking over what they had started already. It was a good opportunity for us to develop that green space,” said school principal Jeannine Ellis.
“We had this courtyard area and there was a discussion on what we’re going to do with that,” explained Dustin Blake, teacher at Iron River School. “I gave a presentation to our parent council and said we should do something with this and make it a natural play space with different areas for music, art, and reading.”
Blake added, he was inspired by an event he attended, which focused on natural playgrounds, getting kids outside, and connecting them with nature.
The school is still in the planning stages and students are brainstorming ideas, such as a gazebo, vertical logs to jump across on, a music area with drums, a white board for an art space, and natural furniture for a quiet reading place.
“Our parent council is committed to fund the project up to a certain amount,” Blake detailed. “That could change after the final presentation.”
Nathan said, “It’s going great. We have done most of the planning, and we’re calling on some of the local businesses to get resources so we can start building.”
The students have to present a final design during the next parent council meeting on Wednesday, May 2.
“It’s amazing to see their passion and enthusiasm. It’s also a chance for them to understand what goes into planning and all the details that have to happen,” expressed Ellis.
Blake added, “It’s been so great watching the kids learn, struggle, and then succeed. I hope they can get everything together and come up with a good presentation.”
Being in a small community often means people have to work with what’s available. The budget is limited for the school, and once they get all of the quotes in, they might have to change a few things around.
“Our parent council gives us so much support. They’re behind us for this project, and so they’re going to give us a substantial amount of funding for it,” said Blake, adding he believes the school should tap into local resources and try to utilize members within the community.
With the rest of this school year and the summer ahead of them, Iron River School is hoping to get the project completed before the next academic year starts.
