MEF Grant Brings Central School's Curriculum Outdoors

I've known Central School to be a special place from the day I moved to South Berwick seven years ago.  I was particularly cranky on that warmer-than-usual spring day, exhausted yet excited to move in to our new home on Academy Street.  In an instant, however, my spirits were lifted by a stream of children wearing light blue t-shirts, who passed by our U-Haul, saw our open front door and warmly exclaimed, "Welcome to the neighborhood!"  They were Central School students participating in their annual Hike Through History, and they reminded me why we chose this special place to raise a family.

Last year I joined dozens of other parents and community members in the school's cafeteria to hear Terrence Parker and Kathy Gunst share their vision for the grounds of Central School.  The energy in the room was incredible.  Parker and Gunst each had ideas and plans for our school, both of which would contribute to the overall curriculum but enhance the time the students spent outdoors.

Parker, a landscape architect, envisioned log walks, wildflowers, forest hideouts and climbing boulders. Gunst, a chef and cookbook author, had just returned from Washington D.C. where nearly 1,000 other industry professionals had answered Michelle Obama's call for healthy cooking classes and school vegetable gardens.  They each had big plans.  What they didn't have, was funding.

"Money is a huge issue," said Gunst to the crowded cafeteria audience.  "But I'm trying not to let it be a stumbling block."

Enter the Marshwood Education Foundation, who provided a $4,000 grant to Central School in the Fall of 2010 in order to help make these dreams a reality.  Thanks to M.E.F. and the support of the P.T.O. and other community businesses, organizations and individuals, the projects both got underway in 2010/11, providing a richer experience for the children of Central School.

Kids may now explore their natural surroundings at recess, building fairy houses and caves out of sticks and leaves, improve their balance and coordination by scaling the log walk, and stay dry in the field thanks to the raingarden and new drainage system.

Students have also learned to appreciate garden-fresh vegetables by participating in their brand new school hoophouse.  They've had the opportunity to cook alongside some of the best chefs in the seacoast, and have been encouraged to try healthy foods like yogurt, kiwi and spinach with their peers.

As a journalist, I was so excited about the Central School Outdoor Classroom and Fresh Express projects, I wanted to share it with the greater community.  The story appears in the Summer issue of Taste of the Seacoast magazine, available online or at newsstands throughout the area.  The story provides more details on the hoophouse project, but both Parker and Gunst are to be commended for their vision and energy in making Central School the best it could be.

Thank you M.E.F., for supporting this and other programs at Central School and throughout the Marshwood district.  Your support means that Central School students are living healthier, more active lives, and proving that learning can occur in the classroom, the cafeteria or on the playground.

-Amy Bevan
Central School Parent and Outdoor Classroom/Fresh Express Volunteer