Jones Middle School gifted students were given a challenge to research and design outdoor classrooms that will be judged, and the chosen design will become a reality.

Principal Carl-Michael Day said that representatives from the Association for Excellence in Education, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the historical society will judge the designs and choose the best outdoor classroom for Jones Middle School.

In addition to planning the classrooms, students have been involved in raising funds to purchase materials to build the chosen classroom. The students have already raised $2,600 for the project, and area businesses have pledged donations from lumber, birdhouses to even topsoil, but the students must continue their fund-raising efforts for their plans to be constructed.

“We have overwhelming support from local sponsors who are donating supplies,” Day said.

The students have taken the process outside the classroom and have begun working on flower beds in front of the school offices.

“It’s better than being in the classroom,” said eighth grader Takira Thompson.

Many of the students’ designs include fish ponds, stone pathways, gazebos and flowers. The students were allowed to be as creative as they wanted to be in their designs. The eighth grade gifted students were required to take their projects a step further and include multimedia presentations, and they even filmed commercials for their designs.

“It (the outdoor classroom project) allows them to take pride in something that will be a lasting part of their school that others will enjoy,” said Melody Hicks, seventh grade gifted teacher.

Day echoed Hicks’ statement by saying, “It’s part of empowering students through ownership in their school.”

Day, in his first year as principal of Jones Middle School, said that things are progressing like he expected. High expectations have become the focus at the middle school.

“We don’t want to be a good school. We want to be a great school. We don’t want good students. We want great students,” Day said. “It’s about not settling for mediocrity.”

Day has set out to make sure that students’ education makes a connection from kindergarten all the way to their senior year.

“We will try to fill the transitional gap,” Day said. “We are building a bridge between the exceptional programs at Nora Davis and Laurel High.”

Day said that more will be done to link the curriculum of the two programs such as adding a junior speech and debate team to the campus.

“If we can get others to see that we are trying to set in place the same quality that they receive at Nora Davis and Laurel High, we won’t lose children,” Day said.