Students, staff, numerous donations transform O’Neill courtyard into outdoor classroom

The O’Neill Middle School courtyard has gained a vibrant new life as an outdoor classroom, thanks to numerous grants and donations and the creativity and dedication of students and staff.

The Courtyard Classroom has taken shape over the past few years, with a great deal of work being done during the 2010-11 school year and the 2011 summer break. Efforts have been spearheaded by O’Neill science teacher Sarah Pinkus, who conceived the idea and
secured numerous donations and grants to bring the project to fruition.

When school resumes this fall, visitors to the Courtyard Classroom will find butterfly houses; a bird habitat made up of bird-friendly plants, student-created birdhouses and bird feeders; paver patios; sheds; benches; student-decorated picnic tables; Adirondack chairs; vegetable and flower plots; and a variety of other plants, trees and shrubs.

“At the end of the last school year, we just had picnic benches in the courtyard. The transformation is amazing,” said science teacher Janette Syverson.

The mission of the Courtyard Classroom is to enrich the educational experience of students while teaching the students how to be a contributing member to their school, Pinkus said.

Utilizing the courtyard space as a safe outdoor classroom will capitalize on students’ natural curiosity and enthusiasm while encouraging creativity, Pinkus said.

“Being outdoors will reduce student stress and foster a deeper connection with the environment. Students will be able to move from appreciating nature and the environment, to actually sustaining it,” she said.

The courtyard will provide a blossoming world of natural studies including native plant preservation, wildlife studies, and natural water drainage. The classroom also will fulfill goals outlined in District 58’s Strategic Plan, as well as numerous national and state education standards, Pinkus said.

The classroom can be used by all classes at O’Neill, including Language Arts, Science, Art and Family Consumer Science. Students have truly taken ownership of the Courtyard Classroom, Syverson said. Alane Lezatte’s art classes at O’Neill created pavers for the garden, and the Garden Club planted flowers and a variety of vegetables, including pumpkins, chives and cabbage.

The planning, establishing and sustaining phases of the courtyard will continue to provide numerous opportunities for school and community partnerships, Pinkus said.

Donations and grants to date for the Courtyard Classroom have included a $3,300 Toolbox for Education grant from Lowe’s of Bolingbrook, which also sent about a half- dozen crew members to O’Neill the week of June 13 to install paver patios and doncated a portion of the paver base; birdhouses from Ace Hardware in Westmont; a $250 grant and a variety of plants from The Wild Ones, a native plant organization; a magnolia and native grasses from Hidden Gardens in Willowbrook; re-blooming lilacs from Wannemaker’s in Downers Grove; perennials from Home Depot in Downers Grove; rose and trumpet vines from Vern Growers in Hinsdale; and donations from the PTA and O’Neill Garden Club, who hosted fundraisers to bring in money for the Courtyard Classroom.

“The learning opportunities made possible by the Outdoor Courtyard Classroom are endless, and we are so thankful to the businesses and organizations in and around Downers Grove for helping to make this project possible,” Pinkus said.