By Clare S. Richie
I’ve driven by the Grace United Methodist Church on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown a million times, but recently learned about the educational oasis located there called The Orion School. The school has big plans to expand their garden into a self-sustaining, multi-center outdoor classroom – complete with chickens, bats, fruit trees, vegetables, composting, worm farms, a geology area and more.
My visit starts with a warm welcome from Director Laura Markson, Operations Manager Christina Warburton and Charlie “the comfort dog.” They explain that this nonprofit school creates a space for students ages 5 to 13 with neurobehavioral conditions (like ADHD) to be self-confident, engage in positive social interactions and experience success within an academic setting. That’s why classes are small – four students or less – so the teachers can provide more adaptive, student-centered learning.
Making connections to the world through hands-on learning is a driving force behind the school’s educational philosophy and the outdoor classroom. We make our way outside to see what’s here today and what lies ahead.
Even with the expansion, there will still be a large recess field and a playground. Along one fence there are trees with painted gourds transformed into birdhouses. These gourds were grown in the vegetable garden further down the fence. Students were involved in every step.
I see a teacher working with two older children, tending to the vegetables and herbs. There’s also a peach and pear trees with plans for adding an apple and fig tree. Long-term, this fruit and eggs from the hens will be incorporated into the school snack, sold to parents in a mini farmer’s market, and shared with the food pantry at Grace church.
Today’s snack was watermelon. Even though it wasn’t grown here – it’s part of the garden now. Five-year old Jax is cutting up the rind to provide food for the worm farm. Some worms are fed to “Caroline,” a rescued box turtle who has an outdoor play space in the garden. Jax is quick to point out that the worms also “make good soil” for the garden. Jax understands how the remains of his food will sustain animals in the garden and help grow vegetables. The Orion School is also making connections with local experts who are pitching both to the infrastructure and the instruction of the outdoor classroom. For example, when grown chickens became part of the master plan, Amy Foster from Garden Hood donated and refurbished a chicken tractor, which is like a mobile home for chickens. Using her education background and experience with school gardens, Amy plans to work with the teachers to incorporate caring for chickens into their curriculum. Any bat-keepers out there eager to share your expertise?
