tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20999974163167472572012-02-16T04:28:29.933-06:00The Spring Valley Elementary PTA created an outdoor classroom / learning facility named "The Panther Patch" in the Spring of 2009. This blog chronicled the research, planning and construction stages of THE PANTHER PATCH and was used as an online storage/reference place for ideas and plans. Please feel free leave comments for us if you have any questions.SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-38979879624575587152009-05-20T12:54:00.006-05:002009-05-20T14:13:22.807-05:00

It's a great thing when "the after" turns out even better than "the plan"! We thank all the people who made The Panther Patch what it is today. THANK YOU!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-6323142773077267482009-05-19T15:55:00.025-05:002009-05-20T13:11:11.618-05:00

WELCOME TO THE PANTHER PATCH! This outdoor learning area was designed with teachers and students in mind and built by PTA volunteers in cooperation with the Midway ISD Maintenance Department. Funding for this $23,000 project came from the 2008-09 PTA fall fundraiser and a $2000 dollar donation from Big Creek Construction Inc. The Panther Patch is dedicated to Principal Maudie Monroe and the

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-16649515004404160342009-05-19T13:51:00.007-05:002009-05-19T23:06:30.372-05:00

The Panther Patch became official today! It was a great morning for Spring Valley!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-77182858988250787442009-05-14T11:33:00.011-05:002009-05-14T15:48:39.543-05:00

Last Tuesday we were finally able welcome the faculty and staff into the Panther Patch! The Panther Patch dressed up for the occasion.The flags were out... The umbrellas were up...And the long awaited portable sink perched proudly on it's slab, hooked up and ready to go! Teachers were able to look through the shed and discover lots the fun things to use with their classes.We served finger

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-66048203136018065332009-05-05T19:03:00.011-05:002009-05-08T15:37:36.309-05:00

UPDATE: May 8th, 3:30PM I just turned in the last order for these shirts. I hope to pick them up on May 18th and distribute them at school that afternoon. I need to have all the Money collected by next Friday, May 15th. We ended up buying 65 shirts! Thanks so much to all of you who support the Panther Patch so much that you wanted to buy this shirt! ~ StephanieJust $10 Youth and Adult SizesCall

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-2469264329567991172009-05-03T22:00:00.002-05:002009-05-04T01:01:15.626-05:00

Even with all the rain this week, there are fun new things out in the Panther Patch! (Besides a new bumper crop of weeds...)Special thanks to my husband Rob for taking this ...and making it look like this!YES! The long awaited portable outdoor garden sink has finally come to the Panther Patch. This weekend Rob also helped me build the dirt pile box and finished the sink path from the shed that

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-70533872313318320802009-04-30T10:03:00.002-05:002009-05-03T23:36:36.345-05:00

The Panther Patch is almost finished... well this phase of it anyway! :)The sign is now up on the front gate..Kindergarten, First and Second grades have already visited the Panther Patch and planted their grade level beds...Kindergarten's vegetable bedsFirst grades flower bedsSecond grades plant and seed flower bedsThe Panther Patch committee has begun putting on the finishing touches that will

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-37292133575332844102009-04-28T11:10:00.002-05:002009-04-29T08:34:03.635-05:00

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-47459446538146068982009-04-27T14:22:00.003-05:002009-05-03T23:36:57.125-05:00

The Panther Patch Committee is making these shirts and we are willing to share! Available in hot pink or bright orange ink and youth and adult sizes, these shirts are $10.00 each.Email Stephanie Grosz at groszfam@yahoo.com if you are interested in ordering.There will be different Girl and Boy shirts with another design/designs available through the PTA in mid-May for only $5.00 if you would

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-40022387240033153682009-04-24T10:26:00.000-05:002009-04-24T10:27:10.282-05:00

  

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-89195868953601682432009-04-19T20:31:00.017-05:002009-04-19T22:55:15.740-05:00

Spring has come to the Panther Patch! The Triangle is slowly transforming from a blank brick hot box to a beautiful butterfly/reading garden. This week Mrs. Kinsey and Mrs. R planted the butterfly bed. (4 months ago and today)Mrs Kinsey also added some beautiful Hibiscus to the pots by the door.Out by the slab there were also some improvements.This week Kristi Miller was able to finish the

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-27571678185715868272009-04-03T18:11:00.003-05:002009-04-05T13:13:11.720-05:00

UPDATE: We are going to work this Sunday April 5th from 3pm to 6 pm if anyone would like to invest a little sweat equity into The Panther Patch! Wear your mud shoes, gloves and bring a trowel! This week our weather vane finally came to roost on the weather pole! Hope to have more weather items up soon!Two things that were not there this time last week! Our copper topped bird feeder and the our

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-71993630659744782552009-03-29T19:51:00.008-05:002009-03-29T22:44:25.716-05:00

We had a very successful 3 workday weekend in the Panther Patch thanks to the MIS Panther Pride kids, Boy Scout Troop 476, several Spring Valley PTA families and the ever faithful Panther Patch committee!Look at what was accomplished!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-48403432423107262752009-03-27T22:21:00.002-05:002009-03-27T22:23:13.415-05:00

Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, the Panther Patch Workday is going to be drastically reduced. Instead of being 11am- 4pm we are only going to work from 2pm-4pm.If the windchill stays in the 40's, we will cancel Saturday's work time all together. We don't want any of our wonderful volunteers to get sick!The forecast is great for Sunday though so please come join us from 2-5pm Sunday

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-62586483375847971312009-03-23T10:19:00.005-05:002009-03-23T10:27:38.048-05:00

This is going to be a very active week in The Panther Patch!You are welcome to come during any of the times listed below.Panther Patch Committee prep dayFriday, March 27, 10AM until 2PMPTA Board & Friends WorkdaySaturday, March 28, 11AM to 4PMBoy Scout Troop & Panther Pride Service DaySunday, March 29, 2PM to 5PMWhether you can come for the whole work time every day, or just an hour here and

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-50017565669852172172009-03-18T14:08:00.011-05:002009-03-18T14:51:42.027-05:00

Even though we are far from finished, it is already fun to look at the Panther Patch "then" and "now" pictures.ThenNowThenNowThenNowThenNowThenNowThenNow ThenNowConsidering we just started working outside mid-January, I think these pictures show a lot of progress! I can not wait to be able to post the true "before" and "after" pictures in May!!!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-1097336672972792292009-03-08T13:26:00.005-05:002009-03-17T02:03:43.953-05:00

So much has changed since I made the first computer drawing of The Panther Patch back in December! Of course little has changed on the drawing compared to what has happened outside in the real Panther Patch! We are 70% complete and on track for our ribbon cutting ceremony on May 11th.While nothing MAJOR has changed on the plan, we have tweaked a few details and added some features. The current

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-81848507749315753422009-02-26T20:47:00.009-06:002009-02-26T22:24:24.301-06:00

Today was a red letter day in The Panther Patch! Three HUGE projects were completed.First Thomas Yourman finished the Butterfly bed for us! It looks GREAT and we know the butterfly population of Hewitt will soon join us in thanking Thomas and Corey Crager for all their incredible help and support! We can't wait to get this bed filled and planted.There are so many fun things we have planned for

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-46422227206861556582009-02-18T14:24:00.004-06:002009-02-18T15:55:52.636-06:00

Even though it may not show outside, we made lots of progress in The Panther Patch this week!Last Tuesday our full budget was voted on and approved at the PTA General meeting. Since then our committee has ordered many fun (and not so fun) things for our outdoor learning area. See the ever evolving "wish list" to the right for updates on what we have ordered so far. Some of the links are not to

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-12524069607327977622009-02-10T20:19:00.010-06:002009-02-10T20:42:19.438-06:00

A PAWSitive place for outdoor learning!Our volunteers might be called the Panther Patch PAWSse.We are so excited about our new name and all the fun things that can be done with it!!!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-61862709478459919042009-02-07T16:21:00.021-06:002009-02-07T18:30:12.595-06:00

We had another great week out in the Outdoor Learning Area!First, MISD's landscaper extraordinaire, Thomas Yourman and crew are doing a fantastic job on the retaining wall. They have done such a great job that we were thrilled when it was approved to extend the wall all the way around the ampi-theater/classroom to the concrete slab. Many thanks to Corry Crager, MISD Director of Maintenance and

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-14026016274055859632009-02-05T00:00:00.001-06:002009-02-05T17:16:36.867-06:00

Spring Valley needs a fun creative name for our new outdoor space!Woodway calls theirs the PAW (Pathways Across Woodway). South Bosque has Mr. B's Living Room. Suggestions were taken in the comments of this post through February 5th.We will announce the outdoor classroom's new name at the February 10th PTA general meeting!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-41494637029504259172009-02-03T21:20:00.002-06:002009-05-20T11:50:27.234-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of construction progress. (Click to enlarge.)Monday Thomas started the retaining wall and drain.The Quarry Stone benches are in and ready for delivery.Monday we finalized the brick. Tuesday the columns started going up!Both fences were put up on Monday.Here is a slide show of Construction so far!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-15484576606314806772009-02-01T14:24:00.000-06:002009-03-16T15:45:56.864-05:00

These are pictures from Cedar Ridge Elementary in WISD. It was designed by Sandy Beck, who is a former Spring Valley teacher and a Master Gardener! (She is also a great piano teacher, summer swim instructor and pet sitter if you need any of these things!) Mrs. Beck came out and consulted with us in the very beginning of this process. We are very grateful to her! She was really sad that I was in

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-30633277167843453832009-01-22T13:14:00.003-06:002009-04-30T12:57:49.746-05:00

Yesterday our wonderful Librarians snapped these pictures of the stone being delivered for the retaining wall and the butterfly bed in the triangle. Work begins soon!Spring Valley we have BLAST OFF!

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-62887058157005776702009-01-17T20:00:00.001-06:002009-01-27T23:41:32.268-06:00

Here is a picture of the plan for the outdoor classroom. The picture will enlarge if you click on it. If you have any questions you can contact me.

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-89382702665822409212009-01-16T20:12:00.001-06:002009-01-27T23:51:11.864-06:00

The TriangleThe trees in this picture are metal sculptures of trees that will be mounted on the brick wall. We are looking for ways to best create these. We have small park benches that will be placed on pavers but will not be mounted. The flags in this last picture are an idea in the works to make this area a bit more whimsical.The EntranceThis is a sketch of what I hope the entrance will look

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-18112764755198348462009-01-16T10:47:00.001-06:002009-01-28T13:12:42.856-06:00

I am going to upload pictures of things we want to include in our Outdoor Learning Center here so that those interested can get a better idea of what we are planning.This is an outdoor area at Woodway that was inspiration for the Outdoor Ampi-theater designed for Spring Valley.Instead of using these flat natural shaped bolder tops buried in the ground, I hope to be able to obtain quarry block to

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-91925860190342880592008-10-29T11:04:00.000-05:002009-01-18T15:47:09.154-06:00

I am setting up this blog to be used as a reference for the SVE PTA Outdoor Classroom Exploritory Committee. Please use the links to the right to read about Outdoor classrooms.

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2099997416316747257.post-36353174836974556162008-10-29T10:07:00.002-05:002009-11-04T10:31:15.287-06:00

SVE PTA Outdoor Classroom Exploratory Committee Overview This SVE PTA Outdoor Classroom Exploratory Committee (hence referred to as the OCE Committee or OCEC ) was appointed by the PTA executive officers and given the following objectives and guidelines: 1. Research and visit elementary outdoor learning projects. 2. Secure and/or develop workable outdoor classroom alternatives and

SGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210067252287690815noreply@blogger.com