Students at Silver Spring Intermediate School in Sussex have an improved outdoor classroom space to use during the 2025-26 school year, thanks to the generosity of a retired teacher.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a number of years,” explains Paul Schmidt who retired in June after 30 years of teaching in the Hamilton School District. “I figured retirement was coming up and I wanted to do something to give back to the district, not only for the great families I worked with but also for the administrators and all the awesome teachers that I was able to work with. So I came up with the idea of making some benches.”
Schmidt says he first cleared the idea with his wife Annie. “She said she thought it was an awesome idea. So I started working on the benches right after school let out and I was able to complete them,” explains Schmidt. The benches were brought to school in late August for the students to use when the new school year began.
“We are so grateful to Paul Schmidt for adding those incredible benches to our outdoor learning space,” says Silver Spring Intermediate School Principal Deanna Wellens. “What a great tribute to such an incredible educator and a way for us to always remember the impact that Paul Schmidt made on our students,” she adds.
“I hope when the students come out here they see the benches and find them inviting,” says Schmidt who views the outdoor space as an opportunity to step away from traditional classrooms. “Maybe even a chance for students to take a break from their screens and be able to learn and collaborate with each other while enjoying this great space.”