Newark – Have you driven past Shue-Medill Middle School recently and wondered when they’re going to mow the yard? Turns out they’re not going to. Shue-Medill Middle School has announced that the field in front of Shue has been designated as a new Learning Meadow.
This past year, Shue-Medill started a Habitat Planning Committee. The committee includes the administrative team, science teacher Monica Christy, special education teacher RJ Carcillo, DAP teacher Patty Knapp, speech pathologist Mary Kay Mills, secondary schools program manager Mary Schorse, Delaware Nature Society School & Group Programs Team Leader David Pragoff, US Fish and Wildlife Service representatives Brian Marsh and Flavia Rutkowsky, and representatives from the Delaware Bay Estuary Project and the Delaware Geographic Alliance, according to a statement on the schools website.
During the spring, Brian and Flavia donated many hours of their time and the materials needed to begin the transformation of the field to a Learning Meadow. During the school year, students from Shue-Medill’s Greenhouse enrichment classes participated in identifying good native plant options for the meadow, and Fish and Wildlife provided the plants and assisted students in planting the wildflowers and designing the shape of the meadow path. The meadow will eventually include the walking path and an outdoor classroom for staff and students, as well as various bird houses and insect habitats designed by students
Image Credits: Shue-Medill