Crown Pond students unveil 'Nature Nook' outdoor classroom in Yorktown presentation

Crown Pond School students and staff showcased a new outdoor classroom they call the "Nature Nook" during the Yorktown Central School District Board of Education meeting on March 24, 2025. Students led a demonstration of how the space will be used across subjects, and district leaders said the project was funded by PTA grants and built by the district facilities team.

The Nature Nook presentation included student speeches, demonstrations and a student-designed sign. "We are excited to tell you about our new outdoor classroom, which we have officially named the Nature Nook," fifth-grader Arjun said at the microphone. Students described hands-on projects conducted in the space, including drone work, science observations of ecosystems, narrative writing inspired by the outdoors, yoga, art projects and a kindness-rock garden.

Why it matters: board members and administrators said the outdoor classroom supports social-emotional learning and multiple academic disciplines, providing a space for experiential lessons that district leaders said complement existing classroom instruction.

Principal Jennifer Jacobs introduced the project and framed its goals as social, emotional and interdisciplinary. "Our vision for this new outdoor classroom is to provide a space where every student feels valued, heard, and inspired," Jacobs said. Assistant Principal Kristen Samet thanked students and invited the board and community to a formal unveiling in the spring.

Students walked the board through details of how the space has been used. One student described using a laser cutter—"Glowforge"—to make the Nature Nook sign; other students described a drone scavenger hunt, ecosystem activities that sorted producers and decomposers, and writing exercises that used the outdoors for imagery. Students also showed painted "kindness rocks" that will decorate the area.

Superintendent Dr. Ron Hatter called the presentation an example of the district's interdisciplinary approach. "This is why we do what we do," Dr. Hatter said, adding that the presentation captured the cross-curricular connections district leaders seek. Board members praised the students' confidence and the PTA's role in funding the project: the board thanked the facilities staff, naming district facilities staff members Mr. Verboise and Dan Sataralli for constructing the classroom.

The board recessed briefly after the presentation; administrators said the Nature Nook will have an official unveiling ceremony this spring and that the student projects will remain part of the school's programming going forward.