Student development stems from environmental influences, such as an open, outdoor space to generate positive interactions outside of the classroom. As a student at Bellevue East, a lack of this area has been noticed. Teachers, students, and other staff members often complain about an issue with students being condensed in the cafeteria during lunch. This could be solved by an addition of a courtyard. A courtyard is an outdoor area, filled with tables and chairs. It would be open to students and classes to expand their ways of learning. Young minds need a space to themselves to connect with nature, socialize, and unwind from feeling overwhelmed. Therefore, adding a courtyard to Bellevue East could have numerous positive outcomes, benefiting the students and the staff.
The undeveloped human body is not equipped to sit and work for eight hours straight. Giving students a chance to stretch their legs and let out their confined energy would make classrooms less hectic. Being constricted to a classroom all day limits creativity and doesn’t give students a chance to collect their thoughts. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that 92% of individuals consistently benefit from the outdoors. They also saw that 98% of mental health issues improved when connecting with nature. Mission Middle School uses its courtyard between each class period and after lunch to give kids a chance to wind down before having to focus on another period. Bellevue East could do something similar, opening the courtyard to people eating lunch and making it available to teachers during class.
Students have class for 90 minutes at a time, so sitting in classroom after classroom can become dull, especially with no breaks. According to Outdoor Classroom Day, “88% of teachers say that children are more engaged in learning when taking lessons outdoors.” As greater responsibilities weigh down students, their cortisol levels, a type of stress hormone, begin to rise. Having high cortisol levels for long periods of time can have detrimental health impacts by offsetting sleep schedules, gaining weight, and feeling irritable and overwhelmed. A courtyard would allow students to get outside and get much-needed stress relief. Improving young scholars’ satisfaction helps them to stay engaged in their studies and preserve innovation.
By adding a courtyard, a new historical part of the school is being created. Teachers get lounge rooms for their free periods to unwind and calm down, so providing a similar environment for students can be just as beneficial. Student socialization could also be improved as classes mix to enjoy nature together, since the senior commons are only available to juniors and seniors. Flowers and plants would be added that are tended to by the Green Initiative.
What is now a flat, grassy region could become a distinguished, creative space, utilized by classes to benefit their teachings. Numerous layouts and designs are seen from various schools, even ones in the region, that could fit the area open to modification. Adding games to these areas could also generate physical activity that stems blood and brain flow, helping kids to think more clearly. Physical activity and nature also play a role in dopamine, which can help stressed-out students to stay motivated. An article by UCL, titled “Study-boosting benefits of exercise,” says that exercise strengthens your memory, draws better concentration, improves your mood, and increases energy levels.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the human body. Some students who get into school early and practice until late at night don’t get a chance to be in the sun as much as they need to. Some effects of a lack of vitamin D are muscle pain, bone weakness, anxiety, and depression. When a student is missing an important part of their process in development, it can lead to outburst. It can also lead to inappropriate behaviors.
A courtyard would also help teach responsibility by forcing kids to take care of and clean the area around them. It could take some pressure off of hallway monitors during lunch, because students would have a place to go and relax, rather than feeling condensed in a crowded, noisy room. The cafeteria would be quieter and students would feel more comfortable in a place they are required to attend every day.
A widely asked question is how would this be possible? One way is that skill tech classes could teach their students about architecture by making the seating areas and other requirements projects for their students. This would be a relevant change in the curriculum that also benefits the school. They would construct benches, picnic tables, or any other furniture needed at a low cost. The average price of a courtyard is $150,000, but through grants to benefit student education and satisfaction, this could easily be covered. There are numerous fund raising opportunities that clubs like Key Club, Student Council, and Leadership Academy could run in order to collect funds for this project. The school could all take part in engaging in this addition. There is an open, grassy area behind the school and one to the left of the school that would work perfectly. Additionally, converting an already grassy area would diminish the cost, rather than paying to build a new region. The cleanliness of the area could be monitored and this area would only be optional if it can be maintained. If being able to freely hang out in the courtyard becomes too much of a problem, it could become only a reversible area for classes, therefore it is getting used in an orderly fashion. There are many ways that creating a safe, habitable environment for students can improve student learning.