A group of dedicated student and staff volunteers spent Saturday making important improvements to the Sparta School Forest pavilion and entrance, helping preserve a valuable outdoor learning space for generations of students to come.
Students Ben Carney and Sterling Intihar joined high school staff members Jared Olive, Joel Frazee, and Buck Engel to tackle several projects around the school forest. The crew replaced rotting fascia boards on the pavilion, repaired several holes in the roof caused by storm damage, and installed a beautiful new steel roof that will provide lasting protection for the structure.
The materials for the new roof were purchased using funds Joan Cook left to the Sparta School Forest upon her passing. For those who knew Joan, her passion for teaching and her dedication to celebrating student learning were unmistakable. She was an eternal teacher who continually found new ways to help students learn, grow, and connect with the world around them.
In keeping with Joan’s spirit, the school forest team wanted to do more than simply complete much-needed repairs. They wanted to honor her legacy by creating meaningful learning opportunities for students along the way.
Earlier this year, students in Mr. Frazee’s woods classes used Joan’s gift to help craft new Aldo Leopold benches for the School Forest. Other students helped install a newer, safer fire pit, further improving the forest as an outdoor classroom and gathering place.
Through these projects, approximately 50 students have already benefited from Joan’s gift and the learning opportunities it has made possible. Countless more students will enjoy the improved facilities and outdoor learning experiences for years to come.
Saturday’s volunteers also turned their attention to the school forest entrance, making improvements to address damage that occurred during the previous fall and winter.
A special thank-you goes to Mr. Olive for donating railroad ties and providing the use of his skid steer with drill, bucket, and brush hog attachments. His generosity and support helped make the entrance improvements possible.
The work completed Saturday represents more than repairs to a pavilion and entrance. It reflects a community’s commitment to outdoor education, hands-on learning, and the enduring legacy of a teacher who believed in the power of helping students learn by doing.
Thanks to Joan Cook’s generosity and the efforts of students and staff the Sparta School Forest will continue to be a place where learning happens beyond the classroom and where her legacy lives on with every student who visits.
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