New Woodview goal: outdoor learning

Grafton’s Woodview Elementary School is looking to offer education outside of the classroom by fundraising for a new outdoor learning space. 

Starting Oct. 18, the school began its virtual giving week with the goal of raising $10,000 to help finance the $100,000 amphitheater-style classroom. 

The outdoor facility will have three rows of seats that can accommodate 70 to 80 students and a stage area with a canopy cover. 

Principal Jill Schwenzen said that during the pandemic, teachers began hosting class outside when possible, but that there is currently no dedicated space for classes. An outdoor classroom would give teachers a space to hold classes, presentations or performances, she said. 

“Covid taught us that there are lots of different ways to learn, and students love to learn outside,” Schwenzen said. 

She added that in addition to being a resource for the school, the outdoor classroom would be available for public use. 

“The intention never was or is that it is just for Woodview,” she said. 

So far, the school has secured about $45,000 for the classroom, including a $10,000 donation from the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club, and hopes to raise the remaining funds by the end of the school year. 

The school has hosted events to raise awareness about the classroom, including a nature-themed scavenger hunt around Grafton and a student vote on which Lake Geneva Safari animal Schwenzen will hold if the $10,000 fundraising goal is met — a boa constrictor, an armadillo or a skunk. Students voted for the boa constrictor. 

Prizes, including a gym membership, American girl doll and lunch with the principal package, have been awarded to those who have donated throughout the week. 

Schwenzen said that as the school gets closer to breaking ground on the project, other fundraising efforts will likely include opportunities for individuals or groups to purchase engraved bricks or naming rights. 

She added that the school hopes to break ground for the classroom next spring and complete the project by the  start of the 2022-23 school year.