Campus Beautification Committee
The PTA Campus Beautification Committee supports and collaborates with the MES Garden Education Program and consists of two subcommittees:
Gardens & Grounds
Campus Art, which focuses on interior and exterior art on campus. Recent projects include the new kindergarten space, the repainting of the line in the back of the school, and the refurbishment of the USA map by the Park and Go parking lot.
Thanks to our community partners and the hard work of our MES families and volunteers, the Campus Beautification Committee has made incredible strides in sprucing up the McDougle Elementary campus. We are thrilled with this progress and eager to keep this momentum going. We welcome volunteers year-round! All are welcome and all are needed, so thank you!
Heather Kennealy, Chair
Heather is the parent of a MES 3rd grader and a MMS 6th grader.
Allie Lee
Allie is an MES parent and the STEM & Outdoor Learning Coordinator at Kidzu Children's Museum. She is also an avid gardener and a board member of the Carrboro Family Garden.
Laura Olley
Ms. Olley is the MES social worker. She also runs the Families Helping Families program in addition to shepherding the garden education program.
Dr. Ariana Pancaldo
Ariana is a retired family physician with a master’s degree in public health nutrition, as well as a Master Gardener.
"I was looking for an opportunity to promote food security when I was introduced to Ms. Laura Olley, the McDougle Elementary School Social Worker. After speaking with her and doing some research about school gardening, I became convinced that promoting garden-based education is a superb way both to introduce children to growing their own food and to promote respect for the natural world. I am also motivated by the proven benefits to children, including improved mental health and academic achievement, and nutrition. It is an honor and a joy to be part of the McDougle Elementary School Garden Committee."
- Dr. Ariana Pancaldo, Campus Beautification Committee Member
Committee Updates
Gardens and Grounds 2/10/24: Shout out to the MacBean, Nervo-Jabaut, and Ganas families as well as gardeners Allie Lee and Ariana Pancaldo for their work in the interior garden space last weekend. These amazing volunteers helped prepare the space for spring planting, which includes a rain garden!
Gardens and Grounds 11/5/23: Major shout out to Mila Horowitz (& her family) and Maddie Hamon (& her family) for helping sprouse up the interior and exterior garden space at McDougle Elementary. Specifically we were able to tackle a problem corner in the interior courtyard where an old broken fountain had been sitting for years! Final pieces were removed and our water garden space is coming together! Teamwork made it happen. Also special thanks to Shelly Solem and her son David who helped clean up the Pre-K courtyard. Heather Kennealy continued to work on the front space near Kindergarten classrooms and Ariana Pancaldo focused on the interior garden. Over 40 Daffodils were planted this past week and more bulbs are being planted this week!! Look for those flowers in the springtime. Thank you volunteers.
Gardens and Grounds 10/22/23: Last weekend was our Gardens & Grounds Committee fall kickoff. Thanks to Bill Horowitz, Pippa, and Mila as well as Allie Lee, Ariana Pancaldo, and Heather Kennealy for coming out to help spruce up our campus.