The Sky’s the Limit
It all began with a little help from the Hopkinton Education Foundation; the Middle School’s The Sky’s the Limit Courtyard Transformation Project that is. For over five decades, a 7,680 sq. ft “courtyard” – enclosed at the center of the school – has sat unused. In 2012 as part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration, the Education Foundation raised $7800 in seed money to transform the unused courtyard in the Hopkinton Middle School. Since then, it has blossomed into what it is today; The Sky’s the Limit Courtyard Transformation Project (https://sites.google.com/a/hopkinton.k12.ma.us/the-skys-the-limit/home). “The Ed Foundation’s belief that this project would both inspire and facilitate innovative teaching & creative learning is what gave the project momentum and will impact students for decades to come,” stated Maryellen Grady, HMS Assistant Principal and Project Sponsor.
After two summers of extensive work, the Sky’s the Limit Courtyard was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 21st, the Sky’s the Limit Courtyard was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Several board members were able to attend! The enthusiasm of both Principal Keller and Vice Principal Grady was contagious, which showed in the amount of smiles and laughter present throughout the large crowd gathered. The largest roar came when the Shayne Desroches Pergola was dedicated by Grady. When asked to meow because that’s how he greeted everyone, the crowd enthusiastically responded, as Shayne would have liked.
The Ed Foundation is a Platinum Level Key Contributor to the project and will continue to support this project as its scope continues to grow. Over this last year, the Ed Foundation provided additional funding of $2200 towards an outdoor science lab, which should be incorporated into the Courtyard in the upcoming year. The intent of the outdoor science lab is to help physics come to life by promoting hands on learning, creating excitement for lesson material and fostering creative and critical thinking. Teachers plan to teach “real life” physics lessons on heat transfer by keeping track of the effectiveness of the building’s insulation using equipment to monitor and track.
We congratulate the Hopkinton Middle School and the Sky’s the Limit Courtyard Transformation Project team on the successful opening of the Courtyard. We look forward to seeing the exciting innovative educational opportunities that can be provided by in this space.
