Hello, Jane here ... making my first blog post! (Oh my, I am officially a blogger). Hanna and I, as well as the other members of the Robson PAC, are taking on a fairly large project. Its a bit overwhelming exciting to think of all the work that needs to be done to achieve the desired end result, but like any large project its best tackled one piece at a time.
The Robson Outdoor project has naturally split into two
different phases of development; first phase involves dealing with the existing
portable foundation, the second involves developing the yard space into some
sort of educational area, likely broken down into different sections with one
of them being a school garden.
Discussions between Hanna and myself have ended in the same
conclusions. Phase one really is about making the area safe, it is where we are
going to incur the high costs, but when compared to phase two, it’s a
relatively straight forward process.
I feel that phase one is really going to establish the bones
of this out door space. It will be the center piece around which different
learning areas are placed (because it really does divide and dominate the
yard). It will be an area protected from the sun and rain – making the whole
yard a truly multi season space. It will hold a lot of bodies – making it ideal
for presentations or large group activities that that require people to be at tables
and chairs.
It is anticipated that phase one will include the following
steps:
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1
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Initial assessment of the foundation – Contract #1 with Engineering
Firm
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We will learn our options based on the physical attributes of the
foundation and our budgetary constraints.
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2
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Concept development meeting with stakeholders
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Based on assessment report we will decide what features we would like
to see developed in the space. Stakeholders involved will hopefully
include teaching staff, School
District Director, interested parents and community members, and students
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3
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Plan Development –
Contract #2 with Engineering Firm
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This will involve concept refinement and cost estimating and the
preparation of detailed design and building permit drawings
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4
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Finding the funds
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Grant writing, fundraising, begging, pleading… etc
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5
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Construction Period
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This will involve tendering the project to a general contractor, or
piecing it out to individual trades, possibly procuring materials
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6
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Re-installing perimeter fence
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Last piece in the safety puzzle
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7
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Furnishing
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Based on concept development – possibly including table and chairs,
picnic tables, different “centres” , a stage area, storage
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Phase two is going to be a much more organic process. It is
going to involve a good bit of research into what other schools are doing –
both ideas that have been successful and ideas that have come up short. It is
going to involve a lot of stakeholder participation and a long term plan.
Depending on the extent of development there might have to be a parent group
managing the area. It will also have to be developed in a way that doesn’t
increase the workload of school maintenance. Phase two will be less expensive,
hopefully will involve plenty of volunteers and volunteered material, but will
have to be executed cautiously as the goal here is long term success!
