These fifth graders at F.E. Burleson Elementary School prepare a bed for replanting as part of an Outdoor Classroom “Spring Clean-up” project on Thursday, Pictured, from left, are Bailey Chandler, Braxton Miller, Conner Tumlinson, Ashton Arechuletta. Keondre Swoopes, Dakota Peebles, Grayson Bray, Caleb Milligan and Antonio Gonzalez. | Clif Knight

Entering its fourth year, the Outdoor Classroom at F.E. Burleson Elementary is undergoing another phase in its development.

Landscape Impact Group of Hartselle, one of the school’s Partners in Education, constructed raised beds Thursday, one for each grade. The beds will be used to grow vegetables, herbs and native plants of Alabama this spring.

Students will have hands-on responsibility for preparing the soil, planting seeds and plants and weeding and watering them.

“Raised vegetable beds represent the next phase in the classroom’s development,” said music teacher Debbie Queen, who has coordinated the project since its inception. “Our students planted and grew winter cabbage and collards last fall and winter and the raised beds will enable us to do much more.”

“We so thankful to Landscape Impact Group and its co-owners, Matt Pilkington and Daniel Carruth, for constructing the beds for us,” she added.

Also on Thursday, students were called on to participate in an Outdoor Classroom “Spring Clean-up.” They cleaned out existing flower beds and prepared them for new plantings, as well doing other chores aimed as getting the classroom spaces ready for a new growing season.