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NewsDepth A+: Black Tiger Zen Den

Fourth and Fifth graders at DeWitt Elementary School, in Cuyahoga Falls, have a long standing tradition of leaving something at the school to remind future students of their legacy after they’ve left for Middle School. Mrs. Short’s fifth grade class and Mrs. Suboticki’s fourth grade class last year created the Black Tiger Zen Den for future students to remember them by, and for their work, they are this weeks A+ Award winners!    

Mrs. Short told us that the Zen Den didn’t happen overnight. It took a few years for the idea to grow. “A few years ago, the fourth and fifth graders were inspired by the High School’s Urban Agriculture class and the garden they made at the High School. They wanted to do something like that here, so we started to clean up our courtyard.”

She explained that over the next few years, each group of fourth and fifth graders made the courtyard better and better. “We really liked that we had a place to go outside to have class.”

Last year the courtyard was even more important to the students at DeWitt because so many classes went outside when the weather was nice so that they could be socially distant. This got last year’s fourth and fifth graders thinking and dreaming big about how they could help their classmates and their community.

“The students wanted to take it a few steps further and create a calming space that people could use during the day” Mrs. Short explained. With help from the GAR Foundation and Suncrest Gardens, the fourth and fifth graders came up with the idea for the Black Tiger Zen Den. The Zen Den is open to the entire community. The local YMCA is also planning on holding yoga classes there!

This week’s NewsDepth A+ Award goes to the DeWitt Elementary School Class of 2021, for creating a calming space for their fellow students and community. Keep up the great work!

Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.