Students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Imperial have been enjoying two new learning environments this school year.
The school, 6024 Old Antonia Road, added a Children’s Garden and improved its science lab before classes started Aug. 24, said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Daniel Shaughnessy.
The Children’s Garden, which includes a playground, is located next to the school’s community garden.
“It is an outdoor playscape,” Rev. Daniel Shaughnessy said. “It has hand-carved wood playground equipment. There also is a well, which is called Jacob’s Well.”
Shaughnessy said the garden cost $75,000 to install, which was funded with a private donation from one of the church’s parishioners, who does not want to be named.
He said the garden primarily will be used by younger students, although students in all grade levels have found a use for the space.
St. Joseph has classes for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
“For the older students, it is being used as an outdoor classroom,” Shaughnessy said. “The middle school kids have used it to read or have a discussion group outside when the weather permits.”
Shaughnessy said the garden area can accommodate about 25 students at a time and provides additional space for students and teachers to work with Margaret Grant, a chef and master gardener affiliated with the Missouri Botanical Garden.
“(Grant) works with the younger kids about how to grow vegetables and cook what they grow,” Shaughnessy said.
The new and improved science lab features six island workstations with plumbing and electricity, he said.
“The six islands are for more advanced science experiments, dissections and really anything that helps advance our science curriculum,” Shaughnessy said. “It allows classes to break into smaller groups at the six stations.”
Shaughnessy said it cost about $120,000 to renovate the lab area. He said the cost was covered with donations from two private donors, as well as funds from the St. Joseph Home and School Association, which is made up of families with children enrolled at St. Joseph.
“There are a lot of great things going on at St. Joseph,” Shaughnessy said.