LONDONDERRY — Visitors to South Londonderry Elementary School's dedication ceremony this weekend will find a delightful surprise when they tour the new wing and see a beautifully landscaped courtyard complete with a fish pond and two waterfalls. Last Thursday, the entire third-grade class at the school took turns helping to build the pond, with most of the classes forming a bucket brigade to pass along small stones that were used by the landscaping crew.

"I really love this," said third-grader Anna Sampson.

"We'll have fish and plants and bird feeders to look at when we come out here."

After the hole was dug the day before, the 11-foot by 16-foot pond that holds 3,000 gallons of water, was built in one day by landscapers from near and far under the direction of Charlie Holland, owner of Chester Hollow Water Gardens in Chester. He and his wife Wendy Holland have lived in Chester for 15 years and have been creating water features for seven years.

Under a program called Ponds for Kids, which is funded in part by the school and donations and sponsored by the North American Water Garden Society, Holland directed the landscapers and children in the building of the pond and waterfalls and planting of aquatic foliage that included corkscrew rush, water lilies, irises and pickerel rush.

Holland works with a company called Aquascape that certifies landscapers in water features and for some of the landscapers at South School it was a chance to practice their skills; for others, it was a chance to learn.

Staff and children passed by the windows looking out on the courtyard during the day amazed at the swift progress from hour-to-hour.

The lucky third-grade class got to get their feet muddy and participate in the project.

"The idea of the Ponds for Kids program is to have children interact in the building of the pond," Holland said.

"It gives them ownership and they take care of it."

Holland said the way the ponds are built using a sustainable, interactive ecosystem makes for low maintenance — 20 minutes a week tops. Before coming out to work on the pond, each class had a quick lesson on the pond's ecosystem by Larry Bartlett, one of the landscapers.

South School formed a garden committee a couple of months ago to design the courtyard space. On the committee were Principal Linda Boyd; Deb Brennan, Apprentice Garden program director; teachers Gail Moretti, Karen McCarty, Laurie Daily and Peggy Tremonte; and Jean Bernard Laurent, a local landscape designer from Windham, who volunteered his time.

In addition to the pond, trees and shade gardens were planted around the courtyard that will also have a granite table and benches.

Landscape companies who volunteered to work with Holland on the pond were L.A. Bartlett Landscapes, Derry; Rioux's Landscape and Design Center, Chester; Kodiak Landscaping, Auburn; Naturescapes, Grafton; Peaceful Gardens, Haverhill, Mass.; Bay State Aquascape, Kingston, Mass., and Dave Winter Lawns/Landscaping of Poultney, Vt.

"Water is like a magnet for kids," Holland said.

South School Dedication and Art Show

Where: 85 South Road

When: Sunday, May 17

What: Dedication Ceremony: 1 to 2 p.m.

Art Show: 2 to 4 p.m.