September 22: School Moves Outside
As our local schools and those across the country made plans for returning to in person learning during the time of COVID-19, many made the decision to utilize the outdoors as part of their day. Social media posts from Boothbay Region Elementary School showed a class of students sitting in a circle under some trees, while Edgecomb Eddy School solicited outdoor rugs and yoga mats to build outdoor classroom spaces. Southport Central School continued to utilize its existing outdoor classroom, while also erecting three white tents with tables and chairs near the sports fields. As children returned to the classroom this year, many of them found the classroom was outside.
It makes great sense to bring children outside during the pandemic. The outdoors provides natural ventilation and sanitizing sunshine that helps prevent the spread of germs, while giving students the space to be socially distant. Teaching outside was a strategy used in the past during health crises such as the tuberculous outbreaks in the early 1900s, including at schools in New England during the winter. These students sat with blankets wrapped around them like sleeping bags and with heated stones at their feet. This reminds me of the saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” It is possible for our children to be outside throughout the school year if they are dressed properly.
I am happy to report that our local schools have been doing a good job at getting their students outside for learning and play even before the pandemic struck. As studies have shown, nature helps children focus and can be an effective place to teach a variety of subjects. The Boothbay Region Land Trust supports this effort by offering free environmental education for students of all ages. Last week I led an animal signs hike for 3rd and 4th graders and happily kicked off our 5th year of forest school with the Kindergarten and 1st grade class at Southport Central School, all while following Covid guidelines. If you want to support students being outside, most schools will accept donations of snow and rain gear for those children that may not have the right clothing for the outdoors. Together we can keep our children warm and healthy during these challenging times.
