By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Money from a Bowling Green manufacturer will help build an outdoor classroom for Bowling Green Middle School students.
The Lubrizol Foundation has awarded BGMS a $45,000 grant to spearhead the creation of an outdoor learning environment on the school campus – thanks to the efforts of science teacher Paula Williams.
“The outdoor classroom will provide an atmosphere of problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. It will be a place for students to not only learn but also relax, unwind, and connect with the natural world,” Williams said.
The Bowling Green City Schools building and maintenance department is scheduled to begin working on the project in May.
Superintendent Ted Haselman shared the news during the Board of Education meeting Monday evening.
The proposed outdoor classroom will be located between the schoolyard prairie and the practice fields, transforming an underutilized area of green space into a space for student engagement and exploration.
The school’s partnership with the Toledo Zoo has facilitated the development and management of the schoolyard prairie, which serves as a model for student-centered science and inquiry learning projects.
The outdoor classroom will create seating and work space adjacent to the prairie and serve as a multifunctional space for various subjects and provide opportunities for students, staff and the community.
This project aims to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities while fostering a deeper connection to nature and the environment.
“I commend Paula Williams for her vision for the outdoor classroom and her leadership throughout the grant process,” said BGMS Principal Eric Radabaugh. “Her dedication to the project will enrich the educational journey of our students for years to come.”
Features of the proposed outdoor classroom will include:
- A raised area outlined with all-weather landscaping timbers and filled with wood chips or playground mulch for easy maintenance.
- Picnic tables, supply table, bench, locked storage boxes, display boards for student work, outdoor trash cans, raised garden beds, a weather station, rain gauge, windsock, sundial, and shade sail.
- Accessibility enhancements, including a concrete sidewalk and wheelchair-accessible picnic table.
“We are immensely thankful for the Lubrizol Foundation’s commitment to advancing education and sustainability, and we look forward to the positive impact this outdoor classroom will have on our students,” Haselman said.
The Lubrizol Corporation is a specialty chemical company whose science delivers sustainable solutions to advance mobility, improve wellbeing and enhance modern life. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol owns and operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices around the world and has more than 8,000 employees.
In other business Monday evening, the board voted to approve the Student Wellness and Success Plan for 2024.
Allie Willibey, executive director of pupil services, talked about the student wellness program that focuses on the physical and mental health of students. The team working on student wellness includes school counselors, nurses, mental health counselors, a psychologist, and a specialist in alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Also at the meeting, Haselman listed donations from the community in the past month, including snacks and clothing for students, backpacks, money for the DECA International Career Development Conference, the after prom, Model UN, girls soccer, a science scholarship, and overdue lunch accounts.
Board President Tracy Hovest read the list of items needed at each school building. Donations may be made to each individual school or sent to the middle school with a note stating which school the items should go to. Donated food items should not contain peanuts.
- Kenwood Elementary: snacks, granola bars and juice boxes.
- Conneaut Elementary: snacks and disposable water bottles.
- Crim Elementary: little bottled waters and earbuds for student testing.
- Middle School: portable snacks, breakfast items.
- High School: easy grab and go snacks like Goldfish crackers and granola bars.
- School nurse: kids size 6/6X boys and girls black shorts, kids size Crocs, plain applesauce cups, pudding cups and plastic spoons.
- Food service: Donations can be made to the central office for negative school lunch balances. Families in need of assistance with school lunch balances should contact Tabitha Hiler-Young.
