Milton High School Students “Dig In”
In September, over 100 students at Milton High School (MHS) helped plant new trees and shrubs in the Courtyard Gardens at MHS. Members of the MHS Environmental Club, field hockey teams, football teams, and other interested students all pitched in to plant witch hazel, striped maple, dogwood, hophornbeam, spicebush, and other trees and shrubs in the school’s new courtyard. The planting is the first step in transforming the space into an outdoor learning area based on a design created by consultants Learning by the Yard based on input from students, parents, and faculty. The plan includes an outdoor performance area, class gathering spaces, an outdoor work yard for art classes, quiet benches in a wooded grove for peaceful reflection, a wildflower meadow, a nature exploration area for the Early Childhood Education program, and an outdoor terrace. Rachael Jonas-Class (president of the MHS Environmental Club and key student liaison on the project) believes that the new courtyard will give busy high school students “a rare chance to enjoy nature every day.”
The project is being coordinated by a team made up of MHS administrators, faculty, and students in conjunction with Milton Outdoor Classrooms (a volunteer organization formed to create outdoor learning spaces at all Milton Public Schools). According to Paul Damiani (MHS science teacher and lead faculty member on the project team), the Courtyard Gardens is a “real testament to Milton’s commitment to providing a first-class education for its students.”
To date, the Courtyard Gardens has been made possible by donations from an anonymous donor, the MHS Class of 1952, the Milton Garden Club, Harvard Pilgrim, and MHS students and parents.
For further information or to make a donation, contact Janet MacNeil, 617.698.7013, janetmacneil@comcast.net.
-Janet MacNeil , Milton Times, 11/3/2005
Twenty six class members visited Milton High to make a $4,000 donation to the high school’s burgeoning Outdoor Classroom. They also helped to plant a few trees that were purchased with their generous donation.
“We’re extremely grateful for their support,” said Natalie Albers, who attended the ceremony along with Janet McNeil. The women are co-coordinators of the Outdoor Classrooms project.
“For a group of people from that era to get behind the concept of outdoor classrooms, it was quite wonderful,” said Ms. Albers. “I was impressed with how willing they were to embrace a new type of learning concept.”
The members of the Class of ’52 were treated to a mini-concert by the high school’s chorus; an overview of the courtyard project by Outdoor Classrooms representatives; a welcome by the Environmental Club; a presentation of flowers by the Childhood Studies program; and guided tours of the new high school by MHS principal John Drottar.
Bob Hersee said the $4,000 was raised during the class’s 50th reunion and subsequent donations. He called the donation ceremony “a wonderful occasion.”
“My classmates and I really enjoyed the opportunity to see what Milton High School will be doing with the gift,” he said. “We were very impressed with the new high school’s image, especially in the areas of technology and this new outdoor classroom.”
Several class members “dug in” and helped plant two common witch hazel trees in the courtyard, which represent a portion of the plant materials the donation will be used to purchase over the coming months.
Outdoor Classrooms is a non-profit group which has initiated a town-wide project to create schoolyard habitat gardens at all Milton schools and to encourage residents to create habitats for birds and butterflies in their backyards, workplaces and public places.
The projects are not included as part of the public school budget. Outdoor Classroom generates its funding through grants and donations.
-Moira Downes , Milton Times, 06/2/2005
Milton Outdoor Classrooms recently received a $500 Community Spirit 9/11 mini-grant from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation to support the creation of a schoolyard habitat garden in the courtyard at Milton High School. Harvard Pilgrim created the mini-grant program to commemorate the first anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 through a special contribution to its foundation. The Harvard Pilgrim Foundation administers this special fund and distributes mini-grants to non-profit organizations that have been recommended by Harvard Pilgrim employees. Linda Palmer, a Harvard Pilgrim employee and MHS parent, submitted an application for the grant.
A master plan for the new courtyard, integrating ideas from the MHS faculty, students and parents, has been completed. Milton Outdoor Classrooms is continuing to raise funds through the Giving Tree, from which parents, students and community members can select specific plants, trees, shrubs and garden features for donations. The Giving Tree is currently located in the lobby at MHS.
In addition to the MHS project, outdoor classroom projects are planned or nearing completion at the Glover and Tucker Elementary schools. Planning teams are also forming at Cunningham/Collicot and Pierce Middle School. For further information, contact Janet MacNeil at 617-698-7013, janetmacneil@comcast.net.
-Janet MacNeil , Milton Times, 1/20/2005
In conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation, Milton Outdoor Classrooms (a nonprofit group) has recently initiated a town-wide project to create schoolyard habitat gardens (also called outdoor classrooms) at all schools. Since schools are under construction, this is an time to shape the grounds into creative learning environments that can be used as a teaching tool for all subjects (science, math, writing, history, art, music, etc.).
The new courtyard at Milton High School is slated to be an outdoor classroom project. Based on teacher and student surveys, many ideas for the MHS outdoor classroom have been gathered, including:
1. An outdoor amphitheater for musical and drama performances
2. Outdoor seating areas for classes
3. Sculptures created by MHS students
4. Native plants that will enhance the outdoor cafeteria seating area
5. An herb garden for cooking classes
6. A wildflower meadow
7. Quiet areas for study and reflection
8. An outdoor art work area
9. Roof gardens
Using money donated by the Milton Garden Club and an anonymous donor, a landscape architect with expertise in outdoor classroom design (Ruth Parnall and Virginia Sullivan of Learning By the Yard) created a master plan for the new courtyard. The plan will integrate ideas from the MHS faculty, students, and parents and will build upon the base plantings that are currently in the courtyard. A draft plan that included features requested by students and teachers was presented for comments last spring. The final plan will be finished in the next few weeks.
In addition to the MHS project, outdoor classroom projects are underway at Glover (where the outdoor classroom is almost completed), and Tucker (where planning is beginning). Planning teams are also forming at Cunningham/Collicot and Pierce Middle School.
For further information, contact Janet MacNeil at 617-698.7013, janetmacneil@comcast.net.
-Janet MacNeil , Milton Times, 11/11/2004
Ideas Bloom at MHS Courtyard Conference
But while winter snow accumulated and spring puddles formed, a pair of women were dreaming of lush meadows, dappled sunlight and woodland gardens in the courtyard. The pair unveiled their ideas to the Milton High School community recently.
Virginia Sullivan and Ruth Parnall operate Learning by the Yard, which helps design and create school grounds. They envision a vibrant, green and fertile space in the courtyard and they have been busy working on plans to make it happen.
“It’s important to know that we used no funds from the school to produce these plans,” said Natalie Albers, a member of the Milton Garden Club who introduced Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Parnall to the assembled group. “We raised our own funds, privately, to make this happen.”
The planners spent time discussing what uses the courtyard will serve once completed. A previous survey of students and teachers revealed preferences for gardens, shade, water features, eating areas and performance space.
“The courtyard has the potential to contribute to both social and academic growth; it also provides a flexible and beautiful social space for the use of the entire community,” said Ms. Sullivan. “Young adults are shown to benefit strongly from the restorative effects of daily contact with the natural world, benefits which include increased focus and attention.”
Both women worked to include many of the suggested features in their plans, but stressed that the preliminary design directions they displayed at the meeting are works in progress and can be adapted accordingly.
Nevertheless, the audience was impressed with the scope of the project and the ambitious plans for the space.
“We’re always striving for different ways to teach,” said MHS science teacher Barbara Plonski. “This space will give us another way to reach students, whether it’s the art classes using the walls for murals or the woodworking students building benches and planters, or just giving the kids a chance to take a break from being indoors all day.”
“I think it’s a very good beginning,” said Milton High principal John Drottar. “It was great to have input from teachers, parents and community members. People are seeing this as a space that’s available for everyone and that’s the way we want it.”
Besides, Dr. Drottar pointed out, “No matter what, it’s going to look a lot better than the pile of dirt and rocks out there now.
“We hung up the drawings in the teachers’ room to refine the vision. I think it’s a good, clear direction. What’s left is the refinement.” It’s going to look a lot better than the pile of dirt and rocks.”
-Moira Downes , Milton Times, 06/24/2004