Multiage class upgrading Williams Elementary courtyard in Mattoon (2024)

MATTOON — Williams Elementary School has been both a place of learning and of community service for the fourth and fifth graders inteacherRachael McCoy's multiage class.

This service has included stuffing envelopes with Project Graduation invitations and encouraging messages for the Mattoon High School class of 2023, as well as helping gathering books for children served by the 2023 One Stop Community Christmas charitable program.

"I have said on many occasions over the last few years that my job is to hear them out and then get out of the way. They rely on me as a sounding board, but the real work is all from them," McCoy said. "They see things that can improve, they see ways they can help, they see the potential."

McCoy said her students got the inspiration for their current service project last fall when they noticed thatspecial education classes were utilizing the courtyard as an alternative location for recess that is less hectic than the playground and that this space was in need of some attention.

"The courtyard still had signs from 2012 there. We are trying to upgrade it more," said fifth-grader Cozy Roderick. Fellow fifth-grader Harper Hild added that, "We thought they might need a better space outside. We are looking at this courtyard project as an opportunity to help out."

Her multiage class ultimately decided to take on the courtyard project to make this space more user-friendly for all students, especially those in the special education classes. McCoy said they have spent months researching weather-resistant, child-friendly materials with various stakeholders, including getting input from the school's special education teachers.

Their efforts included contacting Mattoon school district's LIFT regional vocational training center. McCoy said LIFT construction and maintenance facilitator Christopher Brown subsequently arranged for one of his students, Derrick Schrock of Arthur, to create a busy board sensory device for the courtyard as a capstone assignment, with the help of classmate Hallee Perry of Mattoon.

McCoy said the busy board will contain buckles, dials, snaps and other moveable components for use by young special education students.

In addition, McCoy said her multiage class has designed new signage for the courtyard and ordered these materials from theLake Land College Print Shop. She said they also have acquired flowering plants for this space from the Mattoon High School agricultural program that they have since planted.

"They have been taking turns watering the flowers every day," McCoy said. "At the very end of the day, they water flowers and go take care of that."

McCoy said community support has enabled the multiage class to order new outdoor furniture for the courthouse from Ace Hardware. She said fifth-grader Bridget Overton's mother, Candace, has purchased lawn ornaments from the MHS metalworking program for this space and fifth-grader Cozy Roderick's family is providing a little lending library.

Cozy noted that she and her classmates also are making arrangements for the power washing of the water-stained brick walls of the courtyard, which is bordered by the school's library media center and the staff lounge. McCoy said they are working closely with the district's maintenance head, Dustin Stoltzfus, on this project.

"These 10- and 11-year-old students have planned, priced, designed, and met with numerous stakeholders to hopefully make this courtyard a reality," McCoy said, adding that they hope to have most of the project completed by the end of the school year.

Other students in the multiage class are Callyn Ballinger, Toby Bosel, Kylie Compton, Lainey Courtney, J.W. Diepholz, Kira Gabbard, Hank Dosch, Landyn Fultz, Zachary Gonzalez, Alayna Green, Savannah Ifft, Kynley Jordan, Reid Kaufman, Jackson Litaker, Lakyn Newlin, Dayley Schaefer, Jace Sims, Kate Stuart, Cooper Titus, Brisais Vang, Jaxon Wells and Jermaine Woolfolk.