A Coquitlam elementary school is emphasizing the outdoors in its education curriculum with a vision for landscaping its school playground.
And last Friday, the vision began to take shape as six tall and colorful maple trees were placed in the ground next to a brand-new adventure playground at Meadowbrook elementary school.
"This is really exciting," admitted principal Sally Maidens-Megalli, as the four-metre high trees were lifted off a truck and placed gently in large holes dug into the ground.
Two Meadowbrook students were also on hand for the planting job, Grade 4 student Ashton Clark and Grade 5 student Ethan, Nicoll before the rest of the school joined in the task and celebration.
REGGIO-INFLUENCED
Meadowbrook offers School District 43's only Reggio Influenced program which encourages students to explore, question and collaborate in stimulating environments that includes the outdoors.
The school has six Reggio classes (derived from the Reggio Emilia approach to education) and the hope is to create an outdoor classroom with an amphitheater cut into the hill above the playground, Maidens-Megalli said.
In June the school opened an adventure playground with $50,000 in funding from the province and $29,000 in Spirit of Coquitlam funding, applied for by the school's PAC.
The trees cost about $3,000, including transportation, and were paid for by Fedex Express Canada through a grant arranged through Tree Canada.
A Fedex Express official said his company is pleased to provide the trees as part of the company's goal to green neighborhood schools. Milan Marick said Fedex has planted 60,000 trees at 83 schools. "It's part of our ongoing commitment to minimize our environmental impact and make a positive commitment to the communities we serve," Marick said.
Fundraising continues to raise more money for trees, shrubs and playground equipment at the school.
