WJHS Outdoor Classroom Council Ring dedicated

The District 39 Educational Foundation is proud to have funded the stone council ring for the Wilmette Junior High outdoor classroom. The outdoor classroom and garden was conceived and organized by Beth Drucker and Therese Heyek. The entire project was made possible by the support of the Wilmette School District 39, the District 39 Educational Foundation, the Wilmette Junior High School PTO, and many individual and family donors.

The Wilmette Junior High Outdoor Classroom, created in an interior courtyard in the summer of 2006, provides the school community with the opportunity to gather in fresh air and sunlight for classes, meetings, and clubs. Featuring a stone council ring surrounded by interesting native plants, the outdoor classroom offers a special place for enrichment in a living, natural environment.

The creation of the stone council ring was inspired by the legacy of Jens Jensen, a visionary Midwestern landscape architect. The council ring, built with limestone and designed to seat an entire class, is set in a clearing and serves as a discussion circle reminiscent of Native American fire circles, medieval round tables, and more contemporary campfires. Jensen, influenced by the ceremonial gathering places of the plains Indians, revived the use of council rings and under his direction many were built from 1888-1934 throughout Chicago and North Shore communities. The WJHS council ring continues the tradition of democratic discussion made possible by the circle where all face each other on equal terms.

The Legacy of Jens Jensen

Jens Jensen (1860-1951), a Danish immigrant and one of America’s great landscape architects, is best known for his introduction of Prairie-style landscape architecture. Jensen’s philosophy was to use native species, to plant informally, and to provide open places for people to gather in parks. He served for many years as superintendent of public parks in Chicago and was an advocate for the creation of the Cook County forest preserves. His public works include the Garfield Park Conservatory and many Chicago parks and nature preserves designed to incorporate naturalistic landscapes within the growing Midwestern city. The legacy of Jensen is continued at WJHS with a council ring set in a clearing and surrounded by native plants.

Native Trees, Shrubs and Plants

Many trees, shrubs and perennials native to North America can be found in the outdoor classroom. Some of the natives include:

Trees: River Birch, Hawthorn, White Pine, Tulip-tree

Shrubs: Red-twig Dogwood, Bottlebrush Buckeye, Juniper, Staghorn Sumac, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Carolina Allspice

Prairie: Cup Plant, Joe Pye Weed, Blazing Star, Compass Plant, Switch Grass, Big and Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switch Grass, Rattlesnake Master, Asters, Goldenrod, Milkweed, Coneflower

Woodland: Lady Fern, Jacob's Ladder, Columbine, Bluebells, Trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Shooting Star, Ostrich Fern, Mayapples

Sitting Boulders

Ten large sitting boulders have been placed throughout the outdoor classroom to provide informal seating. The speckled pink boulders and black boulders are varieties of granite. The white boulders are limestone, pitted in time by nature. Students may choose to read, write, work on a project, or simply sit back and enjoy the outdoors while perched on a natural seat of stone.

The Outdoor Classroom and stone council ring was dedicated in September and is ready for use by the school community. What was previously an unused court yard, is now an Outdoor Classroom complete with a stone council ring for class seating and boulders for individuals and small group seating amidst native shrubs and perennials. Next time you are in the school, take a look at the wonderful resource for our children.