ROWE — What started as weekly hikes around Pelham Lake Park has evolved into a school in the forest where Rowe Elementary School students learn English, science and social studies.

Principal Bill Knittle said outdoor education has been a fundamental part of Rowe Elementary’s curriculum for years now. The school has a garden and prioritizes free time and creative play outdoors when schedules allow. Prior to the pandemic, the third and fourth grade teachers would even take their classes across the street to the park for “Forest Fridays.”

“They enjoyed it so much, their students enjoyed it so much,” Knittle recounted, “that they decided to try and do something here on the campus of the school that they could get to every day.”

In September 2020, while many schools were still meeting virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rowe students were back at school. One of the perks of being a small school with just four classrooms was that, with fewer children, there were more possibilities for socially distanced learning, Knittle explained. In addition, canopies were set up on the back lawn behind the school and classes were held outside.

Around a year ago, the school began to experiment with a more permanent outdoor classroom. It started out small, with a couple of tree stumps serving as seats, old industrial wire spools as tables, and a chalkboard.

The classroom has continued to grow. Now up the hill and down a path just beyond the flagpole, there is a whole grove of education complete with picnic tables, hooks for backpacks and about a dozen hammocks where students can read independently after finishing their assignments. The program is primarily for third and fourth grade students, but those in grades two through six can participate on an as-needed basis.

Even when it rains or as the days get colder, students still go outside. Knittle said the school has a geodesic dome that allows students to stay warm during lessons while still remaining outdoors for a few hours each day.

Having an outdoor classroom has certainly changed what a typical back-to-school list looks like. Instead of traditional classroom supplies like tissues and pencils, students are asked to bring rain suits and outdoor gear.

Subjects such as music, art, Spanish and physical education are still taught inside the building, but being outdoors lends itself well to lessons on science, social studies and English, Knittle said.

Teaching outside has been “fabulous,” agreed teacher Claudine Poplawski.

“It takes some different kinds of planning than teaching with your traditional paper and pencil, but once you get into the groove of how to plan outside, you just see more of a spark as they’re learning,” Poplawski said.

Being outside has been great for the students, both for their mental health and by creating an excitement about being at school, Knittle added.

According to the 2024 MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) results shared by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), 82% of Rowe students are now meeting or exceeding expectations. Rowe placed in the top 30% of test scores across the state and was named a School of Recognition by DESE this year.

Poplawski said she hopes to continue to expand the outdoor classroom and get a covered pavilion. Poplawski has tarps that she hangs up when forecasts predict wet weather, but these wear out, whereas a pavilion would last longer and keep things more dry. She added they are working on expanding the outdoor classroom experience to the younger students as well.

Outdoor experiences are also open to students through Rowe Elementary’s after-school hiking club.

Knittle explained the school, with 56 students in all, is too small to run a proper after-school program, but it makes up for it through weekly clubs. Rowe Elementary has a revolving selection of activities led by volunteer parents and teachers. One afternoon a week for six weeks, students can spend an hour or so after school participating in activities such as board games and cooking. For the next few weeks, the school is offering a hiking club, where students get to hike around town.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.