PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN

Monday, October 21, 2024; Saint Ignatius of Antioch School, West Boulevard & Lorain Avenue:  St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School Principal Ronald E. Snow II stands by the Sound Wall in the school’s new outdoor classroom.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. IGNATIUS PARISH

Tuesday, September 24, 2024; St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School, Lorain Avenue at West Boulevard: Cleveland Diocese Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost blesses the school’s new outdoor classroom.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. IGNATIUS PARISH

Tuesday, September 24, 2024; St. Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School, Lorain Avenue at West Boulevard: Ribbon cutting ceremony for the school’s new outdoor classroom.

by Chuck Hoven

   (Plain Press November 2024) In a ceremony on September 24^th, Saint Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School, located at 10205 Lorain Avenue, dedicated a new outdoor classroom with Cleveland Diocese Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost offering his blessing.

   The outdoor classroom is located behind the K-8^th grade school building (west side) and students and staff generally access it through the school building. There is also a gate that can be opened onto Ignatius Avenue.

   The once weed filled little used space behind the school has been converted to a vibrant learning environment.

   An October tour of the outdoor classroom, led by Saint Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School Principal Ronald E. Snow II and Assistant Principal Julie Ellis, revealed some of the features of the outdoor classroom.

   The classroom space has six tables, each with attached seats on all four sides. The tables are painted different colors – some red, some blue and some green. Principal Snow says a seventh table has been ordered and has not yet arrived.

   The tables sit in front of a large screen mounted to the rear wall of the school building. Assistant Principal Ellis says students Chrome tablets can hook up to the screen to display their work. Principal Snow added that a security camera is also set up in the garden and can be monitored from inside the school building.

   The outdoor classroom has a colorful sound board where students can experience different sounds by using small mallets to tap the objects of various shapes mounted on the wall to produce various sounds.

   Another feature of the outdoor classroom is a grass lawn which has several raised garden beds in it. Principal Snow says teachers are already asking if they can plant garlic in the gardens, so students can watch it come up in the spring.

   The outdoor classroom also contains a paved area. Currently there are two large portable basketball hoops being stored there. Principal Snow is not sure yet how that space will be used. With the weather cooling, Snow said he suspects teachers will be waiting until spring to make greater use of the new outdoor classroom.

   Principal Snow says Saint Ignatius of Antioch Elementary School is a Kindergarten to eighth grade school and currently has 207 students. He says classes average fifteen to seventeen students.

   The outdoor classroom will be largely used by the school’s teachers and students, says Snow. He said the school’s alumni may also want to have some gatherings there.

   The outdoor space is quiet and has a parishioner of the parish as a next-door neighbor. The parishioner’s yard has fruit trees and grape vines. During the October tour, apples and pears were ripe on the neighbor’s trees – an opportunity for students to observe nature at work. The neighbor’s yard is also frequented by a squirrel that Assistant Principal Ellis says the students have named “Chippy.”

   In a press release about the outdoor classroom, a spokesperson for the parish says the outdoor space “is designed to foster hands-on, nature-based learning for local students.”

   The statement from St. Ignatius Parish says, “The outdoor classroom represents a new approach to education by offering a dynamic space where students can engage with nature while learning. By blending traditional teaching methods with environmental interaction, St. Ignatius aims to create a lasting impact on children’s learning and development.”

   “The new outdoor classroom at St. Ignatius of Antioch is an extension of our Catholic school’s mission to nurture the whole child – spiritually, intellectually and physically,” said Saint Ignatius of Antioch Church Pastor Reverend Kevin Estabrook.

   The statement from the parish says the outdoor classroom was made possible through donations from alumni and parishioners. The classroom will be available to students of all ages including children in the church’s youth programs and in the wider community.