LEARNING WITH A NEW VIEW
Brayton’s new outdoor classroom, created in 2019 with a grant from SEF, couldn’t have come at a better time! The teachers have been putting it to great use during the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The classroom features benches, a presenter platform, an ADA wheelchair-accessible pad and is surrounded by trees and a nearby learning garden, all which make it an ideal place for students to have outdoor instruction time. Teachers and students have been happy to get outside to use the classroom for reading time, lessons, and mask breaks. The space allows students to spread out and safely participate in school activities in a serene setting.
The excitement can be felt from both students and teachers. Third grade teacher Chris Miller shared that, “The outdoor classroom at Brayton has been a great addition to our school. All grade levels at Brayton have taken advantage of delivering our curriculum in a different manner. From teaching lessons directly or having the students find a quiet place to immerse themselves in reading, the outside classroom is novel. The outdoor classroom is a teacher and student favorite! Thank you SEF!” Nate Aurelio, 3rd grade student stated “We do reading in the outdoor classroom and it is fun to be outside. We also use the benches and nearby garden boxes during our outdoor science work.” Second grade student Liza Kimmel said “Mr. Gannon took our class to the outdoor classroom for a read aloud. It was the perfect temperature so it was nice to have extra outside time. I sat with my friends and we got to take an extra mask break.” It is so fortunate for Brayton students to have this resource, especially at this time.
