Visitors to Dogwood will often see fifth graders sitting in the hallways working together on their math or ELA assignments. This week, the students got a surprise. Instead of just floor desks, they found couches in the middle of the fifth grade hallway.
“Our students are always working in groups in the halls, so we wanted a good place for them to spread out and work more comfortably,” fifth grade teacher Melinda Henson said.
The furniture was made possible by a grant from the Germantown Education Foundation. Assistant principal Joye Phipps suggested some creative seating arrangements when she noticed students utilizing the space so often. So Henson and the fifth grade team started the research process last year to find the perfect design.
“We have appointment cards that assign where students will work,” Henson said. “Our students always got excited when they were assigned to the couch outside of the office, so when we found this furniture, we knew it was perfect.”
The students were excited, and they now look forward to their rotation on the fifth grade couches.
“I love them,” said fifth grader Will Andrews. “They are soft and comfy.”
Fifth grader Korbyn Greene agrees. “They are so much better than sitting on the floor.”
The students and teachers are so thankful to the Germantown Education Foundation for providing them with this flexible seating option.