The Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus held a ribbon cutting Feb. 2 alongside the Bolles Office of Advancement to celebrate the official opening of the Wotiz Family Outdoor Learning Center “The Treehouse.”
Made possible by Ashley Wotiz ’96, Matt Wotiz and many supporters, this center will enhance the learning process through the outdoors and bring elevated energy and connection to classroom learning.
It also will create an opportunity to experience and appreciate nature and allow students to not only learn about their surroundings but to also better understand how nature can impact math, literature, history, art, music and science.
Campus Head Stacey Hendershot said faculty members have been enthusiastically anticipating the opening of “The Treehouse,” brainstorming the many ways they can use the space to creatively reach students.
The entire campus gathered for the ribbon cutting, along with dozens of parents and supporters, to commemorate the opening of the center. The youngest Bulldogs used binoculars to view “The Treehouse,” while the older students waved orange-and-blue pom poms to celebrate.
Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges took the podium to express his gratitude to the Wotiz family and everyone who supported the project, reiterating the significant impact this structure is poised to make in students’ educational and social growth.
“This is going to help students look at the world from a different perspective, and that is really important – especially when you’re young,” Hodges said. “As we cultivate their dreams and we encourage them to dare to be whatever it is they want to be, this is the type of building that helps them do that.”
After the ribbon cutting, the students gathered for their first group picture in “The Treehouse.”
