The Mattapoisett YMCA is already one of the Southcoast’s most accessible natural settings for children to learn and have positive experiences in nature. Now, the staff at the YMCA is excited about a new design for an outdoor certified Nature Explore classroom that will offer children an outdoor space where they can engage in activities to help them further appreciate and understand the natural world.

Joe Marciszyn, the executive director at the Mattapoisett YMCA, said now that he has a conceptual plan in hand, the next step will be raising the funds to construct the outdoor classroom and go before the required town boards and commissions for the proper permits. Basically, the plan is still in Phase I.

Staff gathered for what Marciszyn called “a huge planning” meeting on December 10, 2013 to discuss the concept of creating the Nature Explore space, an idea Child Care Director Tricia Weaver came up with while visiting the Hidden Hollow at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich one day.

Weaver said she envisioned an outdoor space “where kids could be outside and learning and enjoying nature.” She said that when she saw the Sandwich Nature Explore classroom, she had one thing only on her mind.

“That this was the perfect location for one,” said Weaver. She clearly envisioned a thoughtfully-designed outdoor space for kids to climb, build, dig, make music, and experiment with the elements at the Mattapoisett YMCA.

“We want to bring that kind of experience to Mattapoisett,” said Marciszyn. “A place where kids and their families can truly come on the weekends and be in the environment.”

A place, simply, to unplug while plugging into nature.

Marciszyn said the engineer came out to the site and came up with a couple of different conceptual plans before deciding on which one best fit the site.

The majority of the space for the Nature Explore area is east of the existing pavilion, which will be incorporated into the design.

The dirt road that passes the pavilion would be reconfigured to accommodate the various stations within the outdoor classroom that includes an open-space area and designated areas for music and movement, “messy materials,” building, nature art, climbing, and gardening. All of these components, including a gathering area, are required in order for the space to be accepted as a certified Nature Explore classroom.

Instead of just constructing a playground with swings and slides and standard play equipment, Marciszyn said the staff “wanted something different.”

“Something with its roots in nature versus the plastic stuff,” said Marciszyn.

The YMCA will hold a “Party with a Purpose” luau fundraiser on Mattapoisett Harbor on September 26 from 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Tickets are $50 and are available at the Y or online at www.ymcasouthcoast.org. Proceeds will help fund the next phase in the development of the Nature Explore Classroom.

Nature Explore is a collaborative program of Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.

By Jean Perry

Tabor students have completed their first week of classes and are now back to the routine of the school year. The new students took part in a variety of orientation activities to help them adjust smoothly to their new life at Tabor. The majority of these new students are freshmen, 45 of whom are day students who live locally. The 114 students are from a total of 13 states and 4 countries.

When the new students arrived at Tabor, they registered and immediately continued on a tour of the campus. Although as prospective students many had already received tours, this one was more in depth about what their upcoming day-to-day life would entail.

When their on-campus orientation was completed, the Class of 2018 hopped on buses and headed off to Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The freshmen were accompanied by excited faculty members, as well as a group of junior and senior student leaders. Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park and a conference site. This trip was organized by Lauren Millette, the freshman class dean.

The students started their overnight orientation with a trip to the indoor water park. This was a great bonding activity for the class as they explored the park together and had fun on the various rides. Great Wolf Lodge’s water park and arcade provided a number of unique and entertaining activities for the students to take part in together.

The trip was not only a chance for the class to be together and kick off the year, it was also an opportunity for the freshmen to get to know one another before entering the populated Tabor community. At Great Wolf, the students did activities to meet their fellow Seawolves and find peers with common interests.

Later, the freshmen divided into smaller groups to do goal-setting activities and discuss their upcoming Tabor careers with upperclassmen chaperones. The trip was intended to ease the nerves of the incoming students by making them comfortable with their peers and confident about their transition to busy Tabor life.

The next day, the group headed to the ropes course at Great Wolf Lodge. While doing this empowering activity, Abi Taber (’15) organized a photo-shoot. This photo-shoot was for a slideshow that will introduce the Class of 2018 to the Tabor community. The slideshow will flash through photos of each freshman holding a sign that declares what they “are.” For example, one student wrote, “I am excited,” while another said, “I am a basketball player,” and another declared, “I am a musician.” The various answers demonstrate the diverse interests of the incoming class and also allowed the students to evaluate who they feel that they are.

The trip was a success, and the students arrived back at Tabor excited and ready for their first day at school. Now that the orientation process has ended, all Tabor students are settling into their routines and are off to an auspicious start for the 2014-2015 school year.

By Julia O’Rourke