IONIA, Mich. (WOOD) — Children at Boyce Elementary School will have more reasons to spend time outdoors during the school day.
Thanks to a grant from Family Fare’s One School at a Time program, the school plans to extend its outdoor education program with picnic tables, a larger enclosure for the school’s two pygmy goats, and potentially a camera in the bird-watching area.
“My fifth graders are beyond excited to have the leadership role of taking care of them [pygmy goats],” said principal Heather Charon. “I have a picnic area that I have turned into our butterfly garden area where students can sit and work outside during the school day. We also have our kindess rocks placed around that area for students to look at and read. I have a bird-watching area in the back corner of our playground where students can sit and use an app to see what birds enjoy visiting them.”
Charon said the picnic tables need replacement though and he/she hopes a larger goat enclosure will allow the school to add a few more animals.
The school also plans to invite other schools and the community to enjoy the outdoor areas.
“We are the only rural school in Ionia that has an outdoor education program. Other elementary schools in our district will be coming to our school for an outdoor education day and could benefit from having these additions to our school as well as our own students,” Charon said.
Charon noted outdoor education helps students develop “creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
