Courtyard Beautification

Six volunteers from Just Energy, a North America-based natural gas and energy retailer, joined more than 150 students from Spring Woods Middle School and Community in Schools staff recently to help transform a tired campus courtyard into an inviting, freshly landscaped outdoor learning space.

In addition to volunteer muscles, Just Energy donated $2,500 and those funds doubled up a bedding plant and bush order. The donation paid for four dozen knockout roses and rose trees, 20 hibiscus and tulip magnolias, 40 green mound junipers, dozens more jasmine and bottle brush plants, roses, ferns as well as all the soaker and industrial hoses needed to keep all the new vegetation wet and green.

On May 20, Just Energy volunteers joined with Spring Woods Middle students, the campus’ Communities in Schools Project Manager Lucy Rainy, and Counselor Jim Herrington for a day of “Before” and “After” courtyard makeover.

The Spring Woods Middle courtyard was once a quite inviting place, but that was three decades years ago. Trees and bushes were planted, but over time extended drought and neglect emptied out the original plantings and plan.

“We had a vision to return the courtyard to a beautiful, park like setting within our school – one the kids can be proud of as well as the school, and one that could also be utilized by teachers and students for learning,” Principal Karen Liska said of the project.

Two days after the landscaping project, Principal Liska was still ecstatic. “It looks magnificent – the kids, the volunteers and adults did a terrific job, and this will be a focal point for our campus for years to come,” she said.

Principal Liska and Counselor Herrington had special praise for Communities in Schools and project manager Lucy Rainey and the Just Energy volunteers. Students dug up, dug in, planted and moved small mountains of dirt and mulch.

Just Energy’s six volunteers included the following local executives and managers:

• James “Jay” Lewis, President and Co-CEO
• Christopher Duzich, Vice President, Commercial Sales and Green Energy
• Sajjad Mussani, Informational Technology Director
• Rimi Bhawal, Operations Director
• Kelly Jennings Bordelon, Pricing Director
• Mohammed Damani, Retention and Renewals Manager