Murphy – An anonymous donor has donated $20,000 to Cherokee County Schools to begin building outdoor classrooms at local schools.
“I was blown away,” Superintendent Jeana Conley said. “That kind of generosity … To have someone
walk in and make a selfless gesture reminded us how many good people there are out there.”
The donor wanted the first classroom to be built at Murphy Elementary School, which will serve as a model for other outdoor classroom projects across the county. The donor also wanted his donation to be seed funding, encouraging others to help the fund the project.
The district has already had another $1,000 donated by the Pierce Group for the project. Conley the district has already met with an architect, but has not been given cost estimates yet.
“The designs look great,” Conley said.
The classrooms will have a pavilion design and electrical outlets. The plan is to build outdoor classrooms at every school in the district.
One school already has a covered outdoor space they are using for classes, parent involvement meetings, and even lunches. Hiwassee Dam has a pavilion just off the main entry of the school with eight picnic tables placed throughout the space, plus other tables nearby.
“We love it,” said Ruby Cutshaw, the elementary/middle school principal. “I think every school should have something – an area where you can enjoy the outdoors.”
The pavilion has been at the school for several years, and previously was used for lunch overflow. It has access to the school’s internet and electrical outlets.
“We’re definitely using it a lot more for outdoor situations,” Cutshaw said.
She said the teachers in both her school and the high school collaborate on when they’ll use the classroom during the school day. There will be up to six teachers meeting with families on Wednesdays in the space, giving the school the opportunity to meet with parents without having to bring them in the building.
Cutshaw said she would love to have another outdoor classroom space at the school. Anyone interested in helping fund outdoor classrooms should contact Stephanie Hass or Conley at 837-2722.