Students at Maple Ridge Elementary school will soon be spending more time outside their classrooms - but will be learning more than ever.

The school celebrated the grand opening of its new garden on April 20 with speeches, songs, and time outdoors enjoying the fresh air.

Children in Grades 1 and 2 sang two garden-themed songs to their peers, and school board chair Ken Clarkson recited a poem he wrote for the occasion.

Grade 3 teacher Ford Bowden, who initially proposed starting the garden, planted a dogwood tree to applause from the students.

With the help of more than 50 teachers, children, parents, grandparents, and members of the community, a bare patch of land on the school grounds was transformed into six garden beds on April 2, with the intention that students gain an outdoor classroom.

"We've taken those six beds and divided them into 18 plots, and every single one of them has been taken by a classroom," said Grade 4/5 teacher Ken Bisset, a member of the school's garden committee.

"Everybody has really bought into it and sees the value of it."

Bisset said the project has received generous support from the community, with people donating plants, tools, building supplies and even a steel container worth more than $2,000 to serve as a garden shed.

Bisset said the children will gain educational benefits from the new green space.

"I think for a lot of kids, learning where their food comes from and about healthy food is really important," he said. "Also too, there's a lot of research going on as to kids with challenges, special needs, and it's really therapeutic for them. They can get out there and work through some issues and learn something while they're doing it."

Grade 1/2 teacher Sara Oliver, also a member of the school garden committee, said the project has already engaged students throughout the school.

"The kids are really taking ownership of it," Oliver said. "Each classroom has pallet trays, so each class is able to grow some of the plants indoors as a greenhouse and take them out to the garden afterwards."

Oliver said the teachers' goal is to grow enough vegetables to put on a "salad day" before the end of the school year.

Both Oliver and Bisset said the community support has made creating the garden even more meaningful.

"It's amazing, the whole community theme of it," Bisset said. "It's nice that it's the school, but it's also really nice that we have kids working with parents and grandparents and other people. There's all kinds of lessons to be learned in that."

Many students were excited about the garden.

"When the flowers are grown, we can come out with a book and read when the sunflowers are tall," said 10-year-old Logan Walker.

"It inspires kids to start their own gardens," said 11-year-old Elaine Nesbitt.