Newtown Middle School (NMS) staff celebrated the school’s new outdoor garden classroom with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by an open house, on Tuesday, September 2.

The garden consists of a wildflower pollinator meadow, a squash patch, native trees and shrubs, fruit trees and shrubs, and perennial and annual plantings. There are also several vegetable and herb raised beds, growing food such as radishes and beans.

A large gravel pathway wraps and connects each section of the garden. Freshly cut grass, stones, automatic hoses, and wooden benches decorate the area along with the dozens of plants peeking out of the soil.

NMS Garden Club students will plant and maintain the area, learning essential health and wellness skills while fostering a deeper connection to the environment. However, the area will be open to the public for anyone to visit and connect with nature.

The outdoor garden classroom serves as an extension of NMS’s wellness programming. Lessons will highlight healthy eating and the origins of food, and have outdoor fitness and movement integrated into the curriculum.

The garden was made possible through a $35,544 grant awarded by School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA), a national nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.

NMS physical education teacher Michelle Fontaine, who will help advise NMS Garden Club this year, previously told The Newtown Bee that the grant was acquired by School-Based Health Center Nurse Practitioner Ariel Belek Kohn.

She was among the several NMS staff members and others who supported the garden’s development and attended the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Seeing the garden come to life, Kohn said, “has been nothing short of amazing.”

“Our hope is to make it an outdoor classroom, so teachers could bring an English class out here to read or an art class out here to paint,” Kohn continued. “It’s not just strictly gardening, it’ll be a beautiful space for the whole school and community.”

Local landscape designer Dan Holmes, of Holmes Fine Garden, worked with the district to design and install the garden. He made it a point to incorporate native plants, have a balance of sunny space versus shaded space, and overall make the garden welcoming for everyone.

Paula Brinkman joined him at the ribbon cutting ceremony. She volunteered to help with the garden’s raised beds during development.

Others at the event included NMS Principal Jim Ross, NMS Assistant Principal Brian Walsh, NMS Special Education Para Susan Burbank, NMS Science Coordinator and Garden Club Advisor Jennifer Betesh, Grants Specialist Judit DeStefano, and School-Based Health Center Manager Melanie Bonjour.

Ross thanked everyone for their hard work in making the outdoor garden classroom blossom and become a reality.

“It’s certainly an awesome opportunity for our kids, hands-on learning, connection to the curriculum, career paths; it really touches upon so much for our kids,” Ross said. “It took a village here to figure this out, so we’re super excited and grateful.”

Afterwards, Kohn had the honor of cutting the ribbon. Everyone cheered as the ribbon fell to the ground, signifying the start of the garden being a part of the Newtown community.

The garden may have finished being installed, but planning and student engagement for the area is a “continuous process” according to the district.

A CT1B Grantee Impact Presentation detailed that the garden will be integrated and fully utilized at NMS starting this fall. Kohn will be invited into classrooms, allowing her to build trust and talk to students about the new garden.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.