Compass SchoolHouse Unveils Outdoor Classroom

WESTFIELD, NJ — Compass SchoolHouse held a ceremony on Thursday with Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle to unveil their latest educational innovation an outdoor classroom.

The idea blossomed when Kristy Bible, the school's garden coordinator, suggested clearing out the weeds, branches, sticks and rocks from a corner of the current playground to expand the area for outdoor play.

This evolved into the creation of an outdoor learning center to increase the quantity, quality, and benefits of outdoor experiences for children.

With the help of Elayne Edmonds, vice president of the Compass board of directors, they cleared and leveled the area. Edmonds' and Bible's children also helped to transform the area by painting.

A learning wall was built by SJC Lawncare of Cranford. The learning wall holds a magnetic board for writing, creating and STEM activities, and two interchangeable activity boards aimed at developing fine motor, creative, and socialization skills.

One of the activity boards includes objects obtained at the thrift store to create a sound board and another for a latch board.

Students are also able to block build using outdoor resources such as rocks and natural pieces of wood. There are also kits for measuring, bird watching, exploring insects, rocks and soil and are stored in a shed built by volunteer Dan DeWeever.

"We strongly believe that the outdoors is so good for kids," said Sue DeWeever, director at Compass during the ceremony.

DeWeever noted how appropriate it was that it was raining since the children still come outside in the rain to learn and play.

"The free play, the natural setting to sit in, they can learn about science and math out here," DeWeever said.

Children can sit on tree stumps and rocks and Edmonds noted how some teachers will just continue their regular lesson plan in the space just to be teach in an outdoor setting.

"It's been a wonderful experience to watch this happen," DeWeever said. "This very simple idea grew into something really fantastic and it's something that can always evolve."

Compass Schoolhouse, located at 125 Elmer St. in Westfield, offers a play-based curriculum for children ages 2 months to five years old in and around Westfield.

For more information and for more photos, visit www.compassschoolhouse.com or Facebook.

(Image by Alexis Tarrazi/Patch Staff)

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