Pictured: Tonie McDonald, former superintendent of Levittown Public Schools, gathered with her family for the dedication of the Dr. Tonie McDonald Outdoor Learning Center.
Photos courtesy of Levittown Public Schools
The Levittown Memorial Education Center is now home to the Dr. Tonie McDonald Outdoor Learning Center, an educational space in the building’s courtyard that was named in honor of the former superintendent on July 25.
More than 600 field trips have already been made to the Outdoor Learning Center, which features a pond with ducks and fish, a greenhouse and an outdoor classroom. Before it’s construction, Dr. McDonald spearheaded the effort to establish an area for Levittown students to learn outdoors. During the dedication, Superintendent of Schools Todd Winch shared that the initiative to establish the center represents what Dr. McDonald’s mission was all about: “Making school more exciting for kids and making learning more fun.”
“We really wanted to get students outside,” said Kevin McDermott, the district’s director of science and technology. “[Tonie] saw the importance of doing this with students, and post-Covid, it’s that much more important that we get them outside.”
Students in the Summer Jumpstart program helped unveil the new plaque alongside Superintendent Todd Winch and board trustees.
Board of Education President Peggy Marenghi shared the resolution to approve the renaming of the Outdoor Learning Center in Dr. McDonald’s name.
Field trips to the Dr. Tonie McDonald Outdoor Learning Center will continue to teach students about wildlife, our environment and the importance of caring for an animal, as well as provide a space for all other educational opportunities.
“I think the best thing is when the kids would come out, and we could hear them from the central office just squealing with delight,” Dr. McDonald shared with attendees. “It’s a wonderful thing.”
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