Playworks Coach Brendan Mackey

Davis School District

2014/2015

2014/2015Meadowbrook Outdoor Classroom

I. Introduction

Playworks’ vision is that one day every child in America will get to play - every day. We create a place for every kid on the playground, a place where every kid belongs, has fun and is part of the game. We offer an essential opportunity for children to explore their imaginations, to connect with other kids and to stretch and grow physically, emotionally, and socially

In 1996, Jill Vialet was sitting across from a principal of an elementary school in Oakland. The principal looked haggard, emerging from an earlier meeting trailed by three 5th grade boys. The principal launched into a tirade about… recess.

She was tired of seeing the same kids in her office every day, hauled in for fighting on the playground. These weren’t bad kids, the principal insisted. They just were using their powers unwisely on the playground. Meanwhile, her teachers looked for any excuse — sometimes literally hiding — to avoid recess so they wouldn’t have to confront the inevitable outbreak of chaos.

Shortly after that meeting, Vialet founded Sports4Kids, now Playworks. Our goal: transform recess and the school day with safe and healthy play so teachers can teach and kids can learn.

Today, recess on our playgrounds is a lot more fun. There are games going on where previously the space was unused or chaotic. There are fewer kids on the sidelines. Kids play together — boys with girls, girls with boys. They’re active, and you see a lot of high fives and hear a lot of positive language. On our playgrounds, kids resolve those little issues by simply using Rock-Paper-Scissors. Every kid plays.

Playworks is the only nonprofit organization in the country providing trained, full-time coaches focused on recess to hundreds of low-income schools in major urban areas. We also provide training and technical assistance to schools, districts and youth organizations that want to ensure that every kid plays - safely, inclusively and with joy.

Principals and teachers at our schools want us back every year, telling us that that disciplinary issues are down and engagement and participation in the classroom is up -- dramatically. They tell us there’s more community at their schools with kids playing outside their normal groups. And they tell us that there’s more time for students to learn because teachers spend less time transitioning from recess to the classroom, and fewer conflicts spilling into it. In fact, around the country our teachers tell us they get back around 20 hours in recovered teaching time.

They tell us that the safe and healthy play Playworks brings to schools helps students succeed in the classroom — and in life. Playworks for every kid.

- See more at: http://www.playworks.org/about/our-story#sthash.9zWh5O4W.dpuf

Playworks has recently teamed up with AmeriCorps to expand our outreach to schools across the nation. This has resulted in our expansion into other community service opportunities. Projects like the one I’m about to propose to you have been conducted all over the county annually. We take pride in improving the social and emotional wellbeing of our students as well as the communities that they live in. With your participation in this community engagement initiative we will be able to create a safe place of constructive healthy learning for the students of Meadowbrook Elementary.

II. DECALARTION OF INTENT

Meadowbrook Elementary Of west Bountiful, Utah will be having their 50th Anniversary In the up and coming 2015/2016 school year. To commemorate this magnificent accomplishment in education we would like to renovate and improve upon the preexisting outdoor class room that Meadowbrook currently has. On April 25-26 2015 we will commence the restoration and improvement of Meadowbrook’s Outdoor classroom. This beatification project will provide the current 395 and future students of Meadowbrook elementary a place to learn in the outdoors. As a Title one school Meadowbrook has very limited resources, none of which are allocated for this community initiative beatification project. With some financial support we can have a community service event that will bring the community together around a common goal. Developing positive social and emotional relationships throughout the community. A community event such as this will fill the residents with pride about their community, building confidence in themselves as well as their children.

III. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM OR NEED

The remains of Meadowbrook’s outdoor class room consists of stadium seating constructed from old railroad ties, which have been set into the hill side. Over the years the area has been neglected, overgrown with vegetation, and riddled with litter. The poor state and unfavorable conditions of the outdoor class room has caused teachers to shy away from utilizing this asset Meadowbrook has to offer. This outdoor teaching facility has fallen under Great distress and needs to be rejuvenated. Not only does it need to be rejuvenated, but it needs to be improved upon. This will insure that the future children of Meadowbrook will have a beautiful area where they can learn in nature.

A change on the school grounds will encourage the teachers to use the outdoor learning scape resulting in the development of connections between play experiences and the formal curriculum. During a Study in New South Wales 9 out of 15 teachers said that learn scape influenced their thinking about their teaching practices. These influences create fresher ideas and better practices while still retaining the core focus of the curriculum. Children become more interactive in lessons which generates knowledge rather than just absorbing information. Students that have been exposed to learning scapes have shown an increase sense of ownership in their learning. Our environment plays a huge part in our attitude, by improving the grounds students will change their perception of the school resulting in an increased excitement about attending school (A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning 31-50).

IV. STATEMENT OF SOLUTION

The Meadowbrook beatification project has four phases. These phases are broken down by the amount of restoration that we can accomplish dependent of funding ranging from Zero funding to our full budget. Each phase has been design to follow the completion of the previous phase. The ultimate goal is to accomplish all four phases providing the children with the best outdoor class room possible.

Phase one: Clean up

We will clean up the trash that has been littered along the creek side and throughout the outdoor classroom grounds. The cleanup will not only be limited to trash but include undesirable bio matter as well, for example sticks and leaves. The removal of dangerous limbs from decaying trees will prevent future accidents from fallen limbs. Manicuring the existing vegetation will also open up the outdoor classroom area for more exposure to sunlight.

Phase two: Plants

In this project we will add five trees to the grounds of the elementary school. Four of the trees will be planted on the south field of the playground creating a natural barrier between the playground and the street. The fifth tree will be planted inside the outdoor classroom fence as a memorial of the volunteers who helped build the classroom. A variety of shrubs, flowers, and plants will be planted with labels to encourage plant identification. We will add grass seed to the preexisting grass in attempts to thicken up the lawn. This will provide a more desirable turf for the students to sit and play on.

Phase three: Landscape

By using mulch we can create a pathway from the gate to a large area in front of the seating area. This will provide a natural stage for the teacher to address his or her class. A path around the grounds where the plants are showcased for identification will also be constructed. The mulch will create a soft and aesthetically pleasing pathway while also preventing erosion from foot traffic.

Phase Four: Infrastructure

The preexisting seating area has a couple rail road ties that will need to be replaced and the whole thing could use a fresh coat of paint. Paint will rejuvenate the preexisting seating area and provide additional protection, extending the life of the structure. In the large area in front of the seating area a podium and outdoor chalk board with roof will be constructed to assist the teacher during his or her lessons. Building these structures from pressure treated wood and with roofs will extend the longevity of the outdoor class room. A New wooden gate that is more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming will be made to encourage the use of the outdoor

classroom not only by teachers during class time, but also by after school programs and community organizers.

V. FUNDING REQUEST

With this funding we should be able to create an interactive learning scape complete with plants for identification, infrastructure for teaching, and an overall safe environment for the students of Meadowbrook Elementary to learn. Cost of each phase has been calculated in a progressive manner, meaning each previous phase’s costs has been calculated into the current phase. To complete phase one we will require funding in the amount of $75. The cost of completing phase one and two are estimated to total to the amount of $615 dollars. Phases one, two, and three of the beatification project will require funds in the amount of $1215. To complete all four phases of the full beatification project we will require funding in the amount of $2008.

VI. FINANCIAL INFORMATIONBudget

Phase One: Clean upMaterial cost Quanity totalTrash Bags 14.98 1 14.98Gloves 10 2 20Garden rakes 9.98 1 9.98Leaf rakes 14.98 2 29.96

Phase two: PlantsMaple tree 29.99 4 119.96sycamore tree 29.99 1 29.99Holly Bush 17.49 2 34.98ferns 11.99 4 47.96sweet potato vine 12.49 4 49.96Grass Seed 52.67 2 105.34juniper 12.49 4 49.96cypress 18.99 4 75.96Hydrangea 6.49 4 25.96

Phase Three: LandscapeMultch 500 10 yards 500edging 24.98 4 99.92

Phase Four: Infrastructure1 gal red 26.87 2 53.741 gal blue 26.87 2 53.741 gal white 26.87 2 53.74clakboard spray paint 4.08 4 16.32Paint thinner 23.98 1 23.98glue 7.98 1 7.98paint brush / rollers kits 7.98 4 31.92shingles 30.15 2 60.3starter strip 3.08 3 9.24roofing nails 33.92 2 67.84tar paper 27.75 1 27.75osb 9.25 2 18.5ply4x4 14.97 1 14.97ply 4x8 21.55 1 21.554x4x12 20.97 5 104.854x2x8 5.67 12 68.042x6x8 9.37 6 56.226x6x8 25.97 1 25.97screws 29.98 2 59.96hindges 5.98 2 11.96latches 4.24 1 4.24

VII. EVALUATION AND REPORTING

The results of our efforts will be measured but the completion of each phase. With the collaboration of volunteer contractors, engineers, helping hands, and landscapers we can build an outdoor class room to the quality that Meadowbrook deserves. The hours that the volunteers provide will be documented for AmeriCorps records. The Outdoor class room will only take basic upkeep that Rick, Meadowbrook’s Grounds keeper, has already committed himself to.

VIII. REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Contact information:

Brendan Mackey Email: Brendan.Mackey@playworks.org Phone: (484)467-1682

Meadowbrook Elementary Address: 700N 325W

Bountiful, Ut 84010 Phone: (801)420-5500

Playworks Letter from the Internal Revenue Service approving your organization’s 501(c)(3) status is attached to the back of this document.

Rickinson, Mark, Justin Dillon, Kelly Teamey, Marian Morris, Mee Young Choi, Dawn Sanders, and Pauline Benefield. "A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning." Academia. Edu (2004): 31-50. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.