Western Coventry now has a path to outdoor classroom

By JESSICA CARR

Daily Times Staff Reporter

COVENTRY CENTER-Although it's a bit too cold for the students to use it now, many associated with Western Coventry 'Elementary School are excited about the outdoor classroom that Coventry High School kids in Gene Default's wood shop class built for them. ;For years, the pristine landscape and the small body of water that lies behind Western Coventry Elementary School had gone unnoticed because it was inaccessible and hidden by overgrown brush. That silence was broken when former Western student Justin Chafee Standish offered to clear the path to the land that only a few were aware even existed.  

"Justin had been working toward his Eagle Scout and approached me and asked if it would be OK with us if he  cleared the land behind the school as part of what he was doing," said Janice Sullivan, principal of Western Coventry Elementary. "I of course said sure, but we really didn't even realize what was back there    until he did what he did. Once the land was cleared, we realized just how beautiful it was and really developed an appreciation for what we had."

For some time, teachers at the school were escorting their students outside to the peaceful setting behind the school to have class, but there was standing room only and no real classroom structure. That, however, is no longer the case.

Default and his entourage of students came to the rescue and spent several weeks researching bird habitat, hammering and nailing hand constructed seats, and painting the finished product. Once all of the preliminary work was completed, Default and his students piled into a bus and headed over to Western to arrange their creations.

Now, instead of just standing around, Western students can actually sit down comfortably on several wooden benches in a circular shape around their teacher. As the teachers carry out their lesson, the kids can also be inspired by the various bird houses that the wood shop kids built. ."It is obvious to us that the high school kids are proud as punch, but we are even more excited than them about it," Sullivan said. "It's like being in a different world in the back of our school and we just can't wait to use it because our entire school will benefit from this wonderful opportunity."

To thank the high schoolers for what they did, Western Coventry students in Joyce Martinelli's third-grade class wrote them thank you letters and served them lunch.

"Dear Mr. Defaults students, Western Coventry School would like to thank you for making bird houses and new benches for the pond in the woods. We will have enough room for everyone to sit by the pond now," wrote Zackary Smith.   

Sullivan said the outdoor classroom will get full-time use by all of the school's teachers and their students  beginning in the spring.               

Coventry High School students helped create a pathway behind Western Coventry Elementary School to link students with an outdoor classroom.

Submitted photo