When Sanford Middle School 7th graders returned from the Ecology School this fall with ideas about making outdoor time more engaging, the teachers listened and students are now building the solution themselves. Students in the Environmental Club and Mechanical Advantage Clubs are assembling a storage shed funded by the Stronger Connections Committee grant, creating a resource that will benefit the entire school community while gaining valuable hands-on construction experience. The project began with student feedback. During their week-long trip to the Ecology School, 7th graders experienced outdoor activities like volleyball, giant Jenga, and oversized Connect Four that kept them active and engaged. Diana Allen, who serves on the Stronger Connections Committee with colleague Ms. Mason, recognized an opportunity to translate student input into action. "We have this space out here that's not going to be effective for use during flex time," Allen noted during a recent presentation to students. "Instead of just walking around in circles around the building... how can we make that better for all of us?" Rather than simply purchasing and installing equipment, the school turned the project into a learning opportunity. Students from two clubs joined forces to construct the shed that would house the new outdoor equipment. Ms. Mason's Mechanical Advantage Club has been building giant Jenga blocks from two-by-fours, while both clubs have worked together on shed assembly. Allen acknowledged the collaborative effort. "Ms. Mason and I are on the Stronger Connections committee. We got permission to put it outside. And we are using the Environmental Club and Mechanical Advantage Club to put the shed together," she said. The hands-on work has resonated with students across grade levels. "Building the shed is really fun. I like the hands on. It's also a good idea and I like helping the community," said Owen Jutras, an 8th grader in the Environmental Club. Jediah Bowden, also in 8th grade, reflected on the project's lasting impact: "I am very happy to be a part of building the shed to store equipment so we can have fun outside during FLEX time. And the school can enjoy it for years to come!" Fellow 8th grader Eamon McGuckin Welsch added, "I have found the shed building to be extremely rewarding, finding it to be a great use of our time and resources to make something for the school." Sixth grader Jordan Barron appreciated the practical skills: "It's been fun, I really liked putting on the siding with a screwdriver." The shed will soon be stocked with volleyball nets, giant games, and PTA-donated activity totes, ready to transform how students experience outdoor time at Sanford Middle School.

Sanford Middle School Students Build Solution for More Active Outdoor Time

Sanford School Department

December 18, 2025

When Sanford Middle School 7th graders returned from the Ecology School this fall with ideas about making outdoor time more engaging, the teachers listened and students are now building the solution themselves. 

Students in the Environmental Club and Mechanical Advantage Clubs are assembling a storage shed funded by the Stronger Connections Committee grant, creating a resource that will benefit the entire school community while gaining valuable hands-on construction experience.

The project began with student feedback. During their week-long trip to the Ecology School, 7th graders experienced outdoor activities like volleyball, giant Jenga, and oversized Connect Four that kept them active and engaged. Diana Allen, who serves on the Stronger Connections Committee with colleague Ms. Mason, recognized an opportunity to translate student input into action.

"We have this space out here that's not going to be effective for use during flex time," Allen noted during a recent presentation to students. "Instead of just walking around in circles around the building... how can we make that better for all of us?"

Rather than simply purchasing and installing equipment, the school turned the project into a learning opportunity. Students from two clubs joined forces to construct the shed that would house the new outdoor equipment. Ms. Mason's Mechanical Advantage Club has been building giant Jenga blocks from two-by-fours, while both clubs have worked together on shed assembly.

Allen acknowledged the collaborative effort. "Ms. Mason and I are on the Stronger Connections committee. We got permission to put it outside. And we are using the Environmental Club and Mechanical Advantage Club to put the shed together," she said.

The hands-on work has resonated with students across grade levels. "Building the shed is really fun. I like the hands on. It's also a good idea and I like helping the community," said Owen Jutras, an 8th grader in the Environmental Club.

Jediah Bowden, also in 8th grade, reflected on the project's lasting impact: "I am very happy to be a part of building the shed to store equipment so we can have fun outside during FLEX time. And the school can enjoy it for years to come!"

Fellow 8th grader Eamon McGuckin Welsch added, "I have found the shed building to be extremely rewarding, finding it to be a great use of our time and resources to make something for the school."

Sixth grader Jordan Barron appreciated the practical skills: "It's been fun, I really liked putting on the siding with a screwdriver."

The shed will soon be stocked with volleyball nets, giant games, and PTA-donated activity totes, ready to transform how students experience outdoor time at Sanford Middle School.