The Outdoor Classroom is located behind the Blanchard Early Childhood Center of The Uxbridge Public Schools.
This experimental space has been transformed since 1982 with annual workdays involving parents, students, teachers and administrators, regional artists, town departments, and community volunteers. Each year a playground committee takes inventory of problems and during an annual spring workday, repairs are made and something new is added.
Here you can see the river monument and the solar photo voltaic panel mounted on an aluminum pole with the help of Paul Rocha.
Kathy and Paul both volunteered their services over the years along with many other wonderful Uxbridge parents and community members. Marie and Doug Sturgis, Fran and Denis Dore, Ellen & Tony Hudon, Lou and Linda Fraga, Tom Lewis, Paul Landry, Rob Audet, Doug Nydam, Kevin and Kathleen Murphy, Bill Bouchard, Dave Lane, Tony Niro, Stan Bergeron, Johl DeLorey, Irene Lyness, Tara Gadoury, and John Clarke are some of the many wonderful volunteers who have kept this playspace growing. (Note: If you volunteered and your name is not mentioned, please email brd@world.std.com)
The original design oriented to the sun both seasonally and during the course of a day by turning two wheels, easily operated by children. Unfortunately the cable snapped so this particular function is on hold. Currently the river monument is operating on town water. We plan to work with industry or a college to get the monument powered by the sun as Lance McKee had orginally designed and created this monument. The river monument is one of a kind and should be at the Smithsonian but it is perhaps more fitting that it is quietly serving children of all ages in an early childhood public education setting.
The solar panel is a marvel! (Or rather, when you see this system in action, you realize that the sun beams down an incredible amount of energy!) Although photovoltaic panels are only about 11%-12% efficient in turning sunlight into electricity, this 17.5 inch by38.8-inch panel (a Kyocera Model K-51 purchased from Defender Industries, Inc., tel. 800 435-7180) puts out 51 watts on a sunny day! We put aluminum sides around the panel to support a protector screen, and we made the sides like a reflector oven to reflect enough extra light onto the panel to make up for the shadow of the screen.
The outdoor classroom also includes "Satellite Discovery", an outdoor shed that serves as an exhibit loaning library. Originally it was built to house all of the concept boards and exhibits that rotate through the school system. Now that we have our own student run museum, exhibts are housed there and Satellite Discovery serves the Blanchard Early Childhood Center for Explore and Discover.
Other features of the outdoor classroom include a hanging kaleidoscope, raised gardening beds, a walk through rock garden, an electronic field guide, a hexagonal sand play area, a tire dome, an oramental wind mill and a wind generator, a weather station, and a mini amphitheater. Picnic tables, a tool box on wheels, play and learn graphics, murals, and an extensive playscape.
Students who take the E&D course serve as "explainers" for the outdoor classroom. They help set up temporary exhibits like the portable 9' geodesic dome and the bubble station. And they help lead class visits.
1998 "Walk-Through" Rock Garden