Teachers bring students to the banks of Shoal Cree

By:

To connect our students to our natural world, our teachers use nearby Shoal Creek and watershed as an outdoor classroom. The classroom was rebuilt in 2008, adding large landscaping boulders and crushed granite under the oak trees.  This undertaking was completed by parent and student volunteers, in conjunction with cleaning up the creek in partnership with Keep Austin Beautiful.  The kindergarten classes walk to Shoal Creek to explore and catch and release minnows as part of their curriculum.  The 3rd grade curriculum includes a fossil find at the creek.  Our PTA has installed two “Mutt Mitt” dispensers to ensure that dog waste does not enter the creek.  Enthusiasm for the outdoor classroom is high, and future phases are being planned, including restoring the creek and surrounding habitat, installing native landscaping, and providing support for teachers to make best use of the outdoor classroom.