Texas Border Business
PHARR – With people divided by distance for their safety due to the pandemic, outdoor learning classrooms in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD (PSJA ISD) have become a beacon of hope and normalcy for many.
At Kelly-Pharr Elementary in Pharr, Texas, students and teachers look forward to interactive outdoor lessons surrounded by nature in their beautiful campus garden and pond.
In addition to hearing from their teachers, Head Custodian Elias Macias, Jr. can be seen going above and beyond his duties to share his knowledge with students.
“I love nature. Sometimes I’ll be cleaning the pond or trimming the trees and there will be students here and they ask me questions,” said Macias. “I try to tell them as much as I know.”
According to Kelly-Pharr Elementary Principal Lydia Treviño, seeing Mr. Macias taking time to mentor and look out for their students fills her with pride as he is a great part of their team. From sharing information about native species in their pond like the Texas cichlid and helping teachers find caterpillars or cocoons for their lessons to catching fish for their pond, Treviño shared Macias’ impact at their campus goes beyond the call of duty.
“It takes a village to raise our children and Mr. Macias is part of our village. Our students know that he is someone that they can go to as he always goes above and beyond,” said Principal Treviño. “He is very passionate about nature and always excited to share with students. To me, that shows that everyone can be a teacher.”
With the changes to education in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Treviño shared that their outdoor learning classroom has become more important than ever, offering a safe space for students to interact while learning.
“Distance learning has led to computer screens, sneeze guards, spaced desks and limited interactions,” said Treviño regarding the new health and safety measures. “But these gardens show that learning truly can take place anywhere. Nature is hope for us. Even our students learning from home want to be part of these lessons. For many months last year our schools used to be quiet, and now it fills me with joy to hear the students’ giggle and aww as they learn outside.”
In addition to the garden at Kelly-Pharr Elementary, several other PSJA ISD elementary, middle school, and high school campuses also offer students the opportunity to learn about nature and the environment through outdoor classrooms as well as a variety of project-based learning activities focused on sustainability and conservation inspired by the United Nations-17 Sustainable Goals.
Due to the role nature and these outdoor learning spaces are playing at PSJA ISD, Head Custodian Macias’ shared being grateful for the opportunity to impact students’ lives.
“Knowing that I can make a difference in the students’ lives makes me feel good,” said the head custodian and PSJA High School Class of 1994 graduate. “I am a proud PSJA Bear. PSJA gave me so much as far as education. It feels good to be able to give back. The district has changed a lot, offering many things we didn’t have when I was in school. It’s great seeing that.”
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