Every weekend they went to fix it. Every weekend for eight years they went to maintain it. Every weekend the Estes family went to bring the school’s courtyard to life.

The courtyard has always been a special place for students to go. Since its addition in 2009, it has served as a retreat for students during lunch, off periods, and tutor times. Although the courtyard is a well loved spot at the school, unlike the inside of the building, it is not preserved by maintenance. That’s where Mr. Estes comes in.

For nearly 8 years, Estes and his family have spent countless hours every weekend maintaining the school’s courtyard. From mowing and trimming the lawn, to pulling weeds and planting flowers, he has been preserving the open space to the best of his ability for the students. “It’s just a neat place for kids to go, especially freshman because they really have nowhere to go for lunch,” says Estes.

For years, Estes has wanted to enhance the courtyard and put in new mulch. “I was planning on doing one section one summer and another the next summer; with one truck and one wheelbarrow, it would have taken me a whole weekend just to do one small area,” he explains. When Mrs. VanDePol heard about Estes’s plans for the courtyard, she immediately wanted to get others involved and help bring his idea to life.

On August 12th, NHS students, parents, counselors, and teachers all volunteered their Saturday morning to help landscape the courtyard. They spent hours planting flowers, pulling weeds, revamping the paths, and laying down over 15 truckloads of mulch. Trucks would have to drive to the recycling center to load up the mulch, bring it back to the school, wheelbarrow it into the courtyard, and spread it evenly throughout the space. Junior Ellie Penner, one of many to help Saturday morning, says that “it was really fun because you’re working with all your friends and having a good time. It felt really rewarding to better the BHS community alongside many others. Honestly, the courtyard looks amazing.” After a long morning of hard work, the courtyard had new mulch, new plants, and a new look.

“That was heaven. I’ve been wanting to put mulch down for over 3 years now but by myself it would have taken me forever. The NHS help was huge,” says Estes. Thanks to all the volunteers, our courtyard has been transformed into a beautiful outdoor space in the heart of Broomfield that will continue to flourish for years to come.