Our East Campus has a beautiful courtyard in the center of the building that our staff has maintained. Classes have occasionally used it for learning and enrichment activities. However, the space was largely unused, and as BCCS continues to grow, we need to think creatively about space. In addition, we desire to provide students with a variety of places to learn because our students say, “When we are outside, we have a brain reset and are ready to learn more.”

In 5th grade, students learn about persuasive writing in ELA, area and perimeter in math, native and invasive species in social studies, and plants during their ecosystem unit in science. Combining elements from multiple subject areas, teachers designed a learning experience that could solve the problem of how to better utilize one of the spaces on campus, while stewarding creation as God commands us in Genesis.

Together, teachers and students created a plan to transform the underutilized courtyard. They explored what God has to say about stewardship and sustainability, researched native plants and pollinators, and consulted with environmental experts. Students presented their research to a panel of administrators and will work in teams to plan and prepare the courtyard space to be filled with native plants. Through this process, they will practice habits of learning such as gracious communicating and joy-filled collaborating while also utilizing skills from the subjects mentioned above.

The end result will be a transformed native garden that students will care for at BCCS. It will be an outdoor classroom for learning and a place for creation to flourish. It’s an excellent learning experience, rooted in God’s Word, preparing our students for Kingdom work.