Students at Nicholson Elementary now have a roomier place to read and learn, outside.
Several outside classroom areas were under construction Friday morning by employees of the Slidell, La., location of Lowe’s.
Nicholson School Resource Officer Kayla Watkins said she knew of the community assistance program from her time working at Lowe’s, and contacted the Slidell store to apply.
Store Manager Stiles Parker said the donation approved to Nicholson Elementary totaled $2,500, which provided four brand new brightly painted picnic tables, colorful flower beds, a reading web and a 10 by 10 foot stage complete with spectator benches.
About 10 store employees volunteered their time to install the new equipment. Work is continuing on Saturday to complete the installations.
Two red maples were part of the donation and were planted near the reading web, which is a like a large hammock in the shape of a spider web. When mature, the maples will provide shade for the reading web. Parker said the reading web is going to be a great place for students to relax outside while building on their reading skills.
The stage was built in a shaded and sloped area near the back of the school. The stage was constructed at the top of the slope, with the benches situated on lower ground, providing a better viewing angle for the audience. Parker said it can be used for any number of presentations or events.
Parker estimates about 120 volunteer hours will go into the construction of the outdoor classrooms.
The work was provided as part of Lowe’s Heroes, which allows each store to choose a worthy cause. Parker said that at times multiple stores will pool their donations to complete a bigger project.
Donations from other companies helped make the project possible, including concrete from Quikrete and paint from Valspar, Sherwin Williams and Olympic.
Mulch was donated by Oldcastle.
Lowe’s also has a Community Partners program that helps municipalities and non-profit organizations.
“It’s just a way to give back to the community,” Parker said.