Keep Brevard Beautiful Awards Sherwood Elementary School with Beautification Grant
Sherwood Elementary School, a public school in Melbourne, was honored this school year with the distinguished School Beautification Grant by Keep Brevard Beautiful (KBB) for its commitment to native and sustainable landscaping while incorporating school values.
Sherwood Elementary School is a Title 1 that strives to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of all students. Seeing a need for comradery among students and staff, a core group of teachers attended a conference hosted by Ron Clark Academy. This growing educational tool sparked the Sherwood Archers to begin a new system in the school to help each student and faculty member have a crew and a cause. They rolled out an experimental year involving just sixth graders.
Last year, seeing the huge success in the program and increases in test scores and survey results, everyone from a lunch server to a new kindergarten student has been placed in a house. The “house” system utilizes four houses: Isibindi, the house of courage, Reveur, the house of dreamers, Altruismo, the house of givers, and Amistad, the house of friendship. As the school year begins, everyone is placed in a house, associated with their own colors, symbols, and crest.
Staff immediately saw a change in students’ behavior and school pride. Points are awarded as warranted to deserving houses for students’ positive behavior, being on the Honor Roll, winning games, giving teachers appreciation, wearing their house colors, and any other above-and-beyond behavior. There are no prizes at the end of the school year, just the knowledge and pride that their house won. Despite having four houses, the Sherwood community is stronger than ever. Chants can be heard across the campus supporting a student that earned points for a house.
To further this mission, Principal Sandra Marines, teachers Corey Ahern, Victoria Burke, and Khadejah Veal, and Instructional Assistant Missy Howland put together a beautification effort on the campus. The Environmental Club along with key staff members created flower beds along the parent loop in front of the school that showcases the four houses. Replacing dying shrubs and old mulch with pavers, river rocks, and colorful flowers further represents each house along the sidewalk. With snap dragons, marigolds, lavender and heliconia, this garden has pollinators happily buzzing all year long and vividly advertises the houses to anyone driving or walking along the school.
Parents are now getting involved with the school spirit, buying shirts to support their family’s house. Principal Marines whole-heartedly supported the teachers’ initiative, allowing student groups to work on planting throughout the year while incorporating an environment that inspires learning, fostering a sense of community, and highlighting the school’s values.
The rubric used for Sherwood Elementary to win the grant included aesthetic appearance, environmental focus, originality in design, Florida-friendly focus, water conservation, and the outreach/interaction of students.
The grant is made available to any one school in the south area of Brevard annually through the KBB’s South Action Team for $500. Previous grant winners included projects with poultry ponds, hydroponics, butterfly gardens and flagpole beautification.
Attending the beautification grant presentation were key students involved with the planting, Principal Marines, Sherwood teachers Corey Ahern and Victoria Burke, City of Melbourne Environmental Community Outreach Division’s Cheryl Caldwell and Adam Klaproth, and KBB South Action Team member Jennifer Thompson.
