Principal:  Ms. Shanna Flecha   Assistant Principal:  Ms. Maggie McErlane           

The Outdoor Interactive Learning Center

.

Photos - 8/9/04

 The businesses on the attachment are members of our Outdoor Interactive Learning Center Team. 

 All partners strongly support our plan and design to transform our 44,200 square foot courtyard into an Outdoor Interactive Learning Center.  They have created excitement in the community while networking with one another and sharing the vision for students to have an opportunity to study and explore many science and math concepts in a unique hands-on way, thereby, enhancing student achievement.  The courtyard will also be a center for art displays, language arts activities and musical performances. 

 I expressed a Christmas wish (NewsPress, December of 2000) for an architect to help plan and design an outdoor courtyard that would be academically functional, aesthetically pleasing and serve as a gathering place for the community.  I believe it is important that our school is a place where local community events, outside of school hours, are commonplace.  Instead of being a separate entity, we are offering to be a hub for community events.  

Ed Flaherty, Landscape Architecture Manager of Johnson Engineering, enthusiastically stepped forward spending countless hours with a small group of staff members to determine the numerous ways the courtyard might be used to encourage student achievement.  Barbara Hardcastle, grade 5 teacher, shared her idea of seeing the courtyard as the "FCAT Garden" so activities would be aligned with FCAT goals.   

Our project includes numerous interactive elements:  a freshwater pond with an observation deck; weather station; astronomy station; hedge maze, compost area; planets of the solar system; perimeter counting; coordinate grid; number line; one-to-one counting; butterfly, flower and vegetable gardens.  A mural of the United States and an amphitheater/gazebo will be visibly present.  There will be a world globe designed with interactive water jets.  Throughout the environment one will see benches uniquely shaped as geo-solids (square, rectangle, circle). 

Teachers are developing lesson plans for K-5 that relate to all interactive areas.  The Florida Sunshine State Standards constitute the framework for these plans.

 Doug Wells, Operations Manager of Centex Rooney Construction Company, joined our team and has spent numerous hours to develop the project timeline.   He coordinates the management of the entire project.

COMPLETED

 Phase I:  Ed Flaherty accomplished a preliminary Rendering Concept Booklet with graphic depictions of each interactive element, description, area required, construction material/technique, cost estimate and outline of projects to be completed.              

Phase II (Summer 2003):  Safe access to site was created; demolition of existing utilities and existing sidewalk; disconnect of Fire Department connections, installation of new storm drainage system; rough grade; relocation of Fire Department connections; installation of electrical sleeves, water supply, irrigation sleeving; extended water to area; roughed in electric areas; concrete poured.  

August 18, 2003    GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY

Special guests included:  Gloria Tate, Cape Coral City Council; Robert D. Chilmonik, Lee County School Board; Dr. James W. Browder, Superintendent of Schools; Toni Sindler, Administrator on Assignment for Lee County Elementary Schools.

IN PROCESS

Phase III (May-July 2004):  

The combined gazebo and amphitheater is now complete.  It is donated by Mike Marino of Marino Construction Company. 

 Irrigation and landscaping will take place soon by Kenny and Scott King of King Landscaping & Sod of SW Florida (Alumni of Cape Elementary). 

We are delighted with these accomplishments that will help us to kick-off the year celebrating Cape Elementary serving the community for 40 years … (1964-2004)! 

Phase IV:  Stand-by for further developments and more business partners! 

 Ongoing meetings take place with Ed Flaherty of Johnson Engineering, Doug Wells of Centex Rooney Construction Company and the administration of Cape Elementary School.

 The staff, students and parents are grateful to our business partners for taking time to give back to our community in which they operate.  We are inspired by their example!  They have stepped forward with their time, talent and resources affirming that it takes a community working together to make a vision become a wonderful reality.  Cape Elementary is proud to nominate The Outdoor Interactive Learning Center Team as  Outstanding Business Partners of the Year. They fully support us in our mission "to provide a safe and supportive learning community where every student experiences success."  

                                                  Estimated Completion Cost:  $500,000.00

(There has been no cost to Cape Elementary School or to the Lee County School District.)

-Text of Outstanding Business Partner Nomination by Ms. Ann Marie Ellis, Principal

The following community sponsors have made the courtyard here at Cape possible: