A dedication ceremony celebrating the completion of the outdoor classroom at the Village School Rain Garden will be June 14 at 5 p.m. 

"This is our opportunity to thank everyone -- we'd be nowhere if we did not have the support of the parents and the community," said Doreen DeMarco, chair of the Holmdel Foundation for Educational Excellence. "This wonderful garden will enhance the education of the children of Holmdel." 

It is a rare opportunity for people to come see the rain garden in person because entrance to the courtyard garden can only be made through the elementary  school. Children are especially welcome, said DeMarco. 

Guests will enjoy light refreshments and get a first look at the outdoor classroom that is scheduled to be completed in time. The classroom, paid for by the fundraising efforts of the non-profit HFEE, include three permanent benches and tables. In another area, there will be permanent seating for 32 children with a big work table, as well as lesson boards. 

The HFEE raised $22,000 during their annual giving campaign, Casino Night fundraiser and Divine Affair last October. Friends of Holmdel Open Space gave the group $5,000 towards their campaign .

Invited guests will include representatives of the Board of Education, the Holmdel Environmental Commission, the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection's Watershed Management division, the Monmouth County Planning Board and the county Park System. Also invited will be township officials, Omni Enivronmental, and Down to Earth Landscaping, which is constructing the outdoor classroom. 

On of the speakers will be Jeremiah Bergstrom of the Rutgers Water Resource Program. 

The event is scheduled to run from 5:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.