VILONIA -- Fifth-grade students at the Vilonia Academy of Service and Technology (VAST), which is housed at Vilonia Middle School, may be seen outdoors getting down and dirty at the encouragement of their teacher.
With warmer temperatures this past week, the youngsters put down their books and rolled up their sleeves, manned themselves with tape measures, rope, hammers and stakes and began the project to turn a spot behind the school into a place of learning for the entire school.
Supervising the students as they worked outdoors, teacher David Garrett shared that, although the students are used to classrooms filled with the latest in technology, he has ordered them some rather primitive equipment for this latest project.
"I've ordered them shovels, rakes and implements of manual destruction," he joked.
The students charge is to turn an "ugly oval" surrounded by a concrete parking lot into an outdoor classroom.
"It's an ugly oval now but when it's done it will simply be referred to as the Oval which stands for Outdoor Venue for Academic Learning," Garrett shared. The project, he said, will benefit the students in many ways including allowing them to work hands on using math and science skills.
"This project will engage some of the kids who haven't connected," he offered. "The kids will actually be doing everything. They will do all the work manually. They will figure the layout for the pathways. They will figure how big the benches need to be. They will be learning hands on."
When completed, the area will be home to a patriotic, red, white and blue, peace symbol formed by using gravel placed uniformly on the ground. The students will also create a triangle shaped waterfall, which will serve as a focal point, and it will be filled with koi fish. Solar power will be utilized to run the fountains' pump. And, the area will be filled with plants.
The students have already planted seeds in milk cartons allowing them to grow to planting stage.
While it sounds like a major undertaking, Garrett anticipates the project will be completed before school dismisses for the summer.
"Spring," Garrett said, confidently. That is, he said, if the good weather holds out.
Although they may not get to it this year, the OVAL is not the extinct of the project. The students also plan to turn a second area which they refer to as "Beyond," into an area inhabited with native trees. They have visited with a couple of Master Gardeners and, Garrett said, the students have been researching on the subject.
While the students have some "seed money," and don't mind fundraising, Garrett said he would welcome some local partnerships willing to help on the project.
When questioned about the benefits of an outside learning area for the school, Garrett, a 34-year veteran of teaching, talked about the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Then, he reversed the question .
"Why not learn outside?," he asked. "It is part of our heritage."
