Detention Goes A Long Way for Burrel Students
By Mary Funk
As a teacher you always want all students to learn in a safe and friendly environment. There always seems to be one or two students who just don’t want to fit in with the norm. They do their best to disrupt, be funny or just do nothing. Well, I had five of these boys, from the 8th grade and they were constantly being removed from after-school classes, day after day.
One afternoon I asked them if they would please go to separate corners of my class and design the classroom of their dreams. They could have anything and everything they wanted in their class. They did as I asked. The next day, I had them all work together to compare what they had, keep the best of the best, and come up with one classroom. They did it, all within 65 minutes.
I asked if they could draw the plan on graph paper and label it. They did it very neatly. They worked solid for a week, no trouble, no complaints. In the end I asked them to show the principal their design, he liked it very much. He told them to take their plan, make it into a powerpoint presentation, price out how much it would cost, make up a budget and have it ready for the school board meeting. They worked everyday for three weeks compiling what he had requested.
On the 3rd of the month, they marched into the meeting, made their presentation and were applauded for their efforts. The students were told to find the funds and build.
They returned to my class looking glum and disheartened, thinking they would not be able to find the money. With a little time and effort, however, we did: $15,000.00 from A+ Energy Grant, and The PG&E Bright Ideas Grant. We later secured the California Garden Grant for $2,500.00, as well.
The entire community became interested in the project these students devised. Local residents came and worked on Saturdays, while the students worked after school and during science class.
Our Outdoor Learning Center was born: each class has a garden box; there is a solar powered river (200 feet long) with two ponds; a butterfly garden; a ladybug observation area; we have turtles, crawdads, and fish all living throughout the river and ponds. We are gradually planting more and more native plants for the students to observe and learn about.
As the adviser of the project I knew we needed curriculum to back up every area the boys designed. I have gathered lessons, matched to the standards of each grade level, across the curriculum and provided the equipment needed for each and every activity. Today, we have 13 stations and at least five still in the planning stages.
Two classes at a time can work in each of the stations, use the education center or make observations easily and never leave our school grounds.
For the five boys who were the brainchild for this initiative, they have long left our school and moved on to high school at Riverdale High. Alex Fragoza, LeeRoy Aqundiz, Juan Rodriquez, Edgar Hernandez, and Sammy Rodriguez will always be credited with this great contribution to our school. The staff and students will always be told about these boys that made it possible for all students to learn first-hand how life cycles work; what the water cycle is; what solar energy is and everything in between. Their boredom has turned into the excitement of learning for many more students, now and in the future. Solar Energy is alive and well in Burrel, thanks to our students of the past.
Burrel Union Elementary is on the right track thanks to these 5 boys. We recycle our waste, grow our own food, and feed the community as well. We harness the sun’s energy and power a river that provides a learning environment for students to learn life science and physical science first hand by discovery and exploration.
Our teachers have the lessons at their fingertips with all the equipment and supplies needed to suit any and all lessons. For helping the community, for helping the students of Burrel, and for helping the environment of the future — Thank you boys for having the idea of helping Burrel.
What Burrell has today:
•   a working compost of working to rid our trash of food waste.
•   We recycle all shredded paper from the office along with leaves and grass clippings.
•   We grow vegetables all year long in our box gardens and in our green house.
•   We can study the life of turtles, crawdads and worms.
•   We can study the pond and river water
•   We can observe and learn about butterflies in our Butterfly garden area
•   We can study the temperature, and light density in the different depths of the river-with handheld data collectors
•   We can observe many birds of prey and their hunting habits from our observation area
•   We can study the soil and run experiments on its makeup.
•   We can study about insects, birds of prey, and small mammals.
•   All subjects have reading books to read and learn about lessons, they have lesson plans and individual activities as well as group work.
And we are still growing.
Special Thanks go to our partners in success!
•   Professional Ag Resources
•   Kaiser Permanente-community Outreach program
•   Rollin Family Farms
•   Leoni Family Farms
•   Tim Bybee
•   Burrel School Board
•   Gary McDonald
•   All the students who helped complete this project.