Sacred Heart Villa Chosen for Forest Park Project
The children and staff of Sacred Heart Villa enjoyed a day in nature in Forest Park on Tuesday, October 1st. They were invited by Ellie Stevens, Education Coordinator of Forest Park Forever, to participate in a special project related to the new nature playscape currently under contruction in the park. Scheduled to open in 2020, the playscape is a 17 acre site between the World’s Fair Pavilion and the Jewel Box. It will feature a series of paths and boardwalks connecting activity areas that include water, rocks, mounds, and meadows. This innovative concept in playgrounds will allow children and adults to splash, climb, build and explore in a natural setting.
As one of four schools chosen out of 200 participants, Sacred Heart Villa children will design signs based on their experiences in the forest and creek areas adjacent to the playscape construction site. Peggy Knock is coordinator of the project for the Villa. She and the teachers and students of the third floor, along with art teacher, Ruthann Larrigan, are preparing to begin work on the signs, which will involve ongoing collaboration with Forest Park Forever.
In the photo above and on the home page, the children encountered a shed snakeskin in a tree in the forest area of the park. The children also, climbed over branches and rocks, and walked through a small creek.