Pond Observation

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This lovely pond and waterfall, surrounded by trees, grasses, and bamboo is one of the most soothing places on the campus.  When we are focused on the pond, we forget the roaring of the airconditioning shed behind us.  Each week, students from kindergarten through fifth grade observe the temperature of the water and compare it to the temperature of the air and the ground as part of the science curriculum at Stonewall Jackson. 

About ten years ago, the grandfather of a student donated the pond to the school.  Since then, we have watched the seasons pass with the native plants in the pond as they turn colors, their leaves fall, and the pond itself transforms into a fairyland of icicles in the winter. 

For many years we had fish in the pond, and we know we have had wild visitors such as opossum and raccoons as well as the more common grackles and squirrels that bathe in the water and get refreshing drinks.   In the summertime, huge dragonflies with red wings hover in the shade above the pond. 

The bamboo has grown under the concrete walkway between the portables and the sheds to create a green walkway for visitors and for students passing from class to class.       

Just past the pond, there is a rock garden with flowering vines that sometimes cover the whole side of the portable.   On the left is a shed for some of our garden tools, seeds, and fertilizers.  Mr. Painter, the outdoor lab instructor keeps a wheelbarrow parked outside.

The walkway with the pond, rock garden, and bamboo form a cool peaceful moment for all passersby.