The Parish School-Margaret Noecker Nature Center
Little Acorn Park

During the past year we have added milkweed to our outdoor classroom. The hunt for caterpillars and chrysalis has been a great adventure for our students and staff. The students raised caterpillars in their indoor classrooms and the teachers took them home to their own families. It’s safe to say that we have created an Early Childhood monarch butterfly fanclub!

Additionally, we reimagined a new mud digging area. The previous one was too difficult for our students to climb in and out of, so on one of our family garden days one of our father and son teams rebuilt it. The first day the students saw it, one child laid down in the dirt and just covered himself completely from head to toe with dirt. The new space is now utilized every day.

We have two family garden days per year and four to six grandparent garden days per school year to help with maintenance. Additionally, we have professional maintenance days twice a year through Moss Landscaping who generously offer us a discount price. Our outdoor classroom is a huge success with staff, students and familes.