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SVES students get feel of outdoor classroom
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Posted on May 21 2005
Learning is not always confined to the four corners of the classroom.
Some 120 6th grade students from San Vicente Elementary School got to experience that Thursday when they held classes at the newly built outdoor classroom right next to the Japanese Tank Memorial along Beach Road.
The students listened to speakers from environmental agencies like the Coastal Resources Management and Division of Environmental Quality explain the importance of taking care of the environment.
Project proponent Ivan Groom of Northern Islands Co. said the outdoor classroom is now in the final stages of opening up for public use. As soon as the amphitheater-type outdoor lecture hall is completed, he said he would invite everyone to experience it.
“Students and community groups could gather up and organize some activities here,” he said.
SVES teacher aide Ben Rayphand said the activity was part school’s weekend-long end-of-the-year activities for the graduating class.
“Today they are learning how to protect the environment,” he said.
He said the 6th graders were busy doing different things the last few weeks, like visiting the man’amko at the Office on Aging and going to the CNMI Museum and American Memorial Park.
The schoolchildren also had a hand in planting grass along Beach Road as part of the area’s beautification plans. Volunteer and businessman Patrick Calvo also lectured about the importance of grass and demonstrated to the students the right way to plant it.
Groom said the grass-planting project is on its second year, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works, Public Land, Saipan Mayor’s Office, DEQ, CRM, and Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service. “We hope to make it a continuing event.”
He said last year’s event was done at the 13th Fishermen where the participating students also planted grass and did presentations to learn about “non-point source pollution” and the best management practices and ways to build solutions for a better environment.
Groom said any interested parties should contact DEQ at 664-8517 for the use of the soon-to-be-finished outdoor facility along Beach Road.
