Glendaal Outdoor Learning Pavilion Ribbon-cutting Ceremony!

From student idea to outdoor classroom

What began as an idea from Glendaal Elementary School students two years ago became a lasting part of the Scotia-Glenville school community Oct. 22, when students, staff, families and local partners gathered to celebrate the opening of a new outdoor learning pavilion.

The ribbon-cutting marked the culmination of two years of work by two groups of fifth grade student council representatives who helped design the pavilion, navigate the approval process, raise money and rally support to make their idea happen. Their co-advisors, Tana Case and Melissa Clark, and numerous community partners helped guide and support the effort.

During the ceremony, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh presented the Glendaal Student Council with an official citation recognizing their work on the project.

“This experience was exciting and definitely taught some lessons,” former Glendaal Student Council member Emerson McDonald said. “I learned that not everything is going to go our way with a snap of our fingers. We really had to work to get this, but I am so glad that we persevered and followed through with our plan.”

The idea originated during a student council meeting in October 2024. Students envisioned a shaded space that could serve as an outdoor classroom, provide protection from the sun during recess and outdoor activities, and offer a gathering place for school and community events.

With guidance from Silas and Leigh Schrader of Schrader and Company Construction Services, students turned their concept into a formal proposal. They presented it to Glendaal Principal Thomas Eagan before bringing it to then-Business Office Manager Drew Giaquinto and the district’s Buildings and Grounds staff.

The project went through several more levels of review and approval, including the Board of Education, district architect Alastair Aitchison of SEI Design Group and the state Education Department. The process also included a State Environmental Quality Review resolution.

For the students, getting through that process required patience.

“When we were working to get it approved, I felt like there wasn’t much hope. I almost felt as if it was impossible,” Emerson said. “But I am so very grateful for the people who approved our idea and made our dreams come true.”

Once those approvals were in place, students faced another major challenge: raising enough money to build the pavilion.

The project was funded entirely through community donations, with fundraising conducted in partnership with the Scotia Rotary Foundation. In addition to support from Scotia Rotary, contributions came from the Glenville Rotary, Scotia Glenville Lions Club, Callanan Industries Inc., Pompa Bros. Inc., Mohawk Honda, Dimension Fabricators, JH Properties, D E Flynn Excavation and Trucking, All Seasons Equipment, Stewart’s Shops, Curtis Lumber, Lenihan Paving, JJ Super Seal, the Glendaal PTA and Glendaal families.

The students also helped to raise funds. Student council members organized a schoolwide raffle featuring donated gift cards to local businesses and an outdoor home cinema as a grand prize. They worked the raffle tables and collected donations, helping raise thousands of dollars toward the project.

Former student council member Carly Beers recalled both the excitement and uncertainty that came as the project moved into fundraising.

“It was a great feeling when we got to fundraising, but it was also scary because it was a lot of money, and we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to raise it all,” Carly said. “It felt really good when some of the businesses we wrote to offered free labor, while others donated supplies or said, ‘Yes, we will help.’”

That support went well beyond financial contributions. Labor for the pavilion was donated by Schrader and Company Construction Services, ProCut Landscaping, Tyler White of Arrow Excavating NY, Lazio Masonry LLC, Bellamy Remodeling, and Star Roofing.

     
  
  

Following the groundbreaking over the summer, construction moved forward. In September, community volunteers, including students, gathered to assemble picnic tables for the new space.

For Carly, seeing the finished pavilion after watching it evolve from the students’ original plans was especially meaningful.

“It makes me feel proud because we helped build it,” she said. “It was amazing to see the final product compared to our original plans and just see it in real life.”

Students from both years of the project returned to Glendaal for the ribbon-cutting to see firsthand what their hard work had accomplished.

 

Glendaal Student Council co-advisor Melissa Clark said she was proud of the students for sticking with a project that at times seemed out of reach.

“The 2024-25 and 2025-26 Glendaal Student Council members have shown persistence and grit throughout the project to accomplish this goal,” Clark said. “I am so proud of all of them for not giving up and for pursuing something that we thought might not be possible.”

Co-advisor Tana Case said the pavilion also reflects the many people who rallied around the students’ vision.

“This pavilion is the inspiring result of a true community effort by our passionate student council, supportive Glendaal families and the generous Scotia-Glenville community,” Case said. “We are deeply grateful to the local businesses and families who donated their time and resources.”

Superintendent Susan Swartz said the pavilion represents more than the finished structure.

“What makes this project so meaningful is not only the beautiful space our students helped create, but everything they learned along the way,” Swartz said. “They had an idea, encountered challenges and kept working together to move it forward. I hope they carry with them the knowledge that their ideas matter and that, with commitment and the support of others, they can make a lasting difference.”

The pavilion will serve more than 300 Glendaal students, teachers and staff today and remain a place for learning and connection for generations of students to come.