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Eagle Scout Builds Sensory Garden To Help Special Needs Students Transition Back To School

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A California Eagle Scout recently returned to his roots to build a sensory garden to help special needs students transition back to his school.

"I would best describe a sensory garden as a garden that best incorporates all five different senses," Aloysius Pelly told CBS Sacramento. "I designed it to be especially stimulating for them and everyone at school."

Pelly, a student at Rocklin High School, says he got the idea to do his Eagle Scout project at Valley View Elementary School after seeing what the garden used to look like.

"I thought it would be good to rebuild what once was a derelict and unused garden into a new one that kids would be able to enjoy," Pelly said.

Pelly said that he started planning this project in July 2020 and finally was able to set it up this spring.

It was a fun-filled day for Valley View Elementary students in Rocklin as some took in a new place to play at the school's new sensory garden – and it was built by an Eagle Scout and former student.

Posted by CBS13 CBS Sacramento on Wednesday, April 7, 2021

"It was my elementary school that I went to so, I made a lot of fond memories here," he says.

His former principal and parents of current students showered Pelly with praise for his dedication to give those in the special day classes and others an outlet at the school.

"It's very important to get a break from class and to come out and to engage your senses is really a nice break for students," Valley View Principal Shari Anderson says.

That really touches my heart because with my son, some people may not realize that if he's having some type of -- I don't want to call it sensory attack whatsoever but, just he's going through something -- things like they try to tell us, 'Hey, to kind of cope with this let them touch something, let them smell something, let them do something different," says Angelina Zucker, a Valley View Elementary parent.

Pelly says he's incredibly thankful for his fellow Eagle Scouts, contributors and other local businesses who helped with the project.

"I'm really glad everyone who came here enjoyed it because we worked really hard on this project. And I'm glad that kids are being able to make good use of it now," he says.

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