MacPhail Memorial Elementary School's beloved "Kindy Forest" is staying put, thanks to efforts by the community to preserve the space.
The Bluewater District School Board had planned to clear the outdoor forest area used by the youngest grades to make space for three portables this summer. But parents, teachers and students made efforts to save the space, and now it will be spared.
In a statement, the board said staff value the input of the school community and have continued to work diligently to find an agreeable solution for all.
"We really are very thankful for the board for working with us, and coming to our information session and answering all of our questions," said one of the organizers, Jess McQueen. "I do feel like the board gets a lot of backlash for decisions, so I just want everyone to know that if it's really meaningful and if you have the information to back up your suggestions and your concerns, you really can make a change."
Organizers of the Save the Kindy forest movement started petitions, planned delegations for the board meeting and organized an info night that was attended by board members, to pitch ideas for other areas the portables could go that would allow for future additions as well.
McQueen says one of those suggestions are what they ended up going with.
"The space that they're doing it in is at the back of the school where there is a hill," she said. "It's basically fill from the last expansion we did. I'm not a hundred per cent sure if they'll be leveling all that space out, but that's where three portables will be going for now."
Though the goal has been achieved, McQueen says they'll still be working to help protect and improve the entire Flesherton Hills area.
"I mean, through all of this, we have created this little community of like a newer generation to take care of all of the Flesherton Hills. I mean, I grew up in this area but I didn't have an idea of who took care of that hundred acres, which belongs to the board," she said. "There is a group of people who do the weed eating and fix bridges and stuff like that. It's kind of nice that we've been able to connect with them and now we can create a newer generation to take over that workload for everybody."