SALISBURY — After a long hot and wet summer, Sacred Heart School’s gardens and outdoor learning spaces really took a beating...many weeds showed up, but unfortunately there were not many volunteers allowed to be on campus to pull them out because of COVID-19 restrictions.
The school community knew they would have to work together to get the garden and outdoor areas looking good again. A big thanks to the facility staff, middle school science teacher Shoes, the Master Garden Club, and several school families who worked tirelessly over the past several months to get everything back in shape.
The Diocese of Charlotte’s COVID-19 protocols for schools emphasize more outdoor learning, exposure to fresh air and wide open spaces. Making outdoor learning even more enjoyable for students is an effort to give the Sacred Heart Sensory and Mary gardens a complete face-lift with new stone, new plantings, and new sensory play equipment. Furthermore, with the GO OUTSIDE GRANTS that teachers Mrs. Shores and Mrs. Michaels received for Sacred Heart school (totaling $10,000), they can purchase outdoor xylophones, art easels and drums for the sensory garden. The school is also planning a new outdoor stage for creative and theatrical play behind the Sensory Garden.
Switching gears to the Master Garden area where many STREAM lessons using agriculture have been taught, raised planting beds are being reconstructed and restored with new planting soil.
Due to recent heavy amounts of rain, the school is also correcting a flooding issue along the backside of the garden with a new drainage system. Again, thanks to the GO OUTSIDE grants, Sacred Heart is constructing a new outdoor classroom complete with concrete, seating, and a shade roof.
Next are plans to add a weather station, a magnifying station, and an outdoor white board for science and more STREAM lessons.
Thank you again to all the volunteers who give their time, talent, and treasure to keep our Catholic schools “safer, stronger, together.”
— Robin Fisher, Special to the Catholic News Herald
