A community effort, including support from the Tipp City Foundation, has brought new life to an outdoor learning space at Broadway Elementary School.
The project included cleanup of what Principal Tina Smith described as a “not so attractive area” along with new plants, a revitalized fence and two picnic tables. It now serves as a welcoming extension of the classroom, she said.
“We are so excited to be able to have this extended learning space for both our students and staff as weather permits throughout the school year,” Smith said.
Two former Broadway Elementary School teachers - Ruth Ann White and Georgia Bayman - were among those behind this project.
Bayman recalled the earlier garden filled with plants, many from staff members’ gardens, and how it was tended for a time by volunteers from fourth grade classes and a garden club.
Over the years, teachers retired, students moved on, changes were made in the grades housed in the building and more demands were placed on teachers’ time, Bayman said. In time, the garden fell into neglect.
As the 2021-21 school year approached, Bayman said she was approached by White about the condition of the garden and what she saw as the need for action to make it more presentable to the community.
The two women contacted Smith and Kim Hagen, Tipp City schools’ business operations coordinator. They agreed to find a contractor to clean up the area and mulch it. Fundraising was started by Bayman and White with more than $2,200 gifted by 17 donors.
Cable Brothers Landscaping Co. cleaned the area leaving trees and shrubs. Remaining funds were used to add plants to the beds. Research was done to identify the best low maintenance plants and a plan for placement.
As that work was underway, volunteers Steve Bowen, assisted by Steve Waters from Upper Room Worship Center, painted the chain link fence around the garden and donated an arbor to serve as a focal point, Bayman said.
Plants and flowers were added to the area, including some donated by Meadowview Gardens and mulch supplied by Evergreen Lawn Care. The tables were purchased by the foundation and umbrellas by the schools. Parent Chris Aselage of Promotional Spring, did the window coverings, Bayman said.
“The garden area is once again a living space where teachers, students, parents, grandparents and caregivers can spend time,” she said.
The Tipp City Foundation purchase was through the Youth of Tipp City Fund in memory of Sara Drexler. Sara Drexler was a Tippecanoe High School graduate and Tipp City schools math teacher who passed in 2018. Grants from the fund in her memory are for education experiences that inspire youth to find joy in learning and zest for life.