St. Francis holds groundbreaking
By Katherine Miller
IOTA – Tuesday, celebrated as Earth Day, was a major stepping stone in the lives of many people in Iota. Thirty years ago, a move was begun by people in the community to make the six acres between St. Francis Church and St. Francis School a fun environment for everyone. Plans for the area now include a nature trail that the students of the school, as well as the community, will be able to enjoy.
Students, parents and special guests attended a morning ceremony Tuesday held to show appreciation to those who helped make this dream a reality, and also to break ground on the new project and plant a tree. Mr. Louis Cramer, principal of St. Francis School, said, “I think this will be a great asset to our school as well as to the surrounding community.”
A grant was recently received from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The grant St. Francis received is a matching grant, meaning that the school must provide 50 percent of the total cost of the project.
Special guest speakers and contributors who attended were, Iota mayor John Sittig; Mahlon Doucet, LA Department of Agriculture; Milton Simar of the Acadia Parish School Board; Chief of Police Scotty Pousson; Barrett Courville, Acadia Parish county agent; and Fr. Polson, school chancellor. They added their thoughts and prayers in the blessing ceremony of the grounds. Mr. Doucet offered age appropriate activity books for each grade that teachers could include in their classroom activities. He also spoke to the children on the importance of trees, and that the tree that had been planted on that day would be there for generations of their children to come.
Project contributors Ms. Alicia Richard and Mrs. Aline Hebert explained the goal of the trail, is to enhance the learning experience for every individual at St. Francis School through hands on activity. Each of the students and teachers have contributed in some way to the planning and implementing of the project, and the students’ activities will align with the school’s and state’s curriculum.
The trail will consist of several learning stations, which will include a butterfly garden, bird sanctuary, forest area, wet area, bat houses and a weather station. The trail will also include an outdoor classroom where students may come together in a natural setting to learn.
“While students will be learning the various scientific skills, we hope they will also develop an understanding of their relationship to the natural world and develop their own personal value system about their environment, fostering a sense of respect for all living things,” said Ms. Alicia Richard.
The nature trail will also be used for cross-curriculum projects that will be integrated through the use of a variety of media. Overall, the hope that the school has for the students is that this trail will foster a true love of nature and learning in them.
If anyone is interested in donating funds, materials, or supplies, please call St. Francis School at 337-779-2527.