The outdoor picnic tables have been a fan favorite spot for students to cool down and hang out in the Gunston wing. The favored lounge is in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by brick walls of the school. The courtyard has been a great place for students to learn how to take care of the garden including vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc. Along with the garden, there’s also a pond with turtles and fish where the students can observe and learn more about. This is an attempt for students to be more hands on about going green.
Outdoor spaces have been a focus for Fairfax County Public Schools which supports efforts to enhance accessible green areas for learning. The courtyard garden received the 2 picnic tables, valued at $1800, as a grant from “Educate Fairfax,” according to Danielle Tapsoba, teacher and Get2Green Co-Leader.
Shane Mills, head instructor for the building and trades program at the Pulley Center, explained the process of building the table. They were regular table kits anyone could buy from Lowes.“They were kind of preassembled, but the students added the stain, we sanded everything down, we made them much more appealing for the students to use here in West Potomac.”
He also stated that the idea for the communal tables actually came from COVID. At that time, there was a tent in the courtyard but with the weather there wasn’t any place for the students to sit outside. “So it was our principal’s and my idea: let’s put some picnic tables out there and it’ll be a good place you can either do an outdoor classroom or just have a place for students to sit for bad weather,” Mills added.
With the introduction of the tables it’s been embraced by the West Potomac population. “It brought a meeting place for people to sit and hang out, or they can sit down and do class work,” Mills said.
