STARKVILLE — A playground is as synonymous with an elementary school as a pint-sized box of milk.
When the recess bell rings, boys race out of the classroom with basketballs in hand and climb everything in the yard. Girls jump rope and lounge by the jungle gym.
It”s been that way for generations. But when a playground that serves more than 1,000 students has just a set of monkey bars and a patch of concrete, children are missing out.
That was the scene three years ago at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary, where a desolate playground hindered children from exercising, socializing and, believe it or not, learning.
Thursday, Henderson Ward Stewart held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its $40,000 all-weather pavilion, considered the cornerstone of the more than $200,000 of playground renovations since fall 2009.
The pavilion can seat two classrooms and is two-tiered for optimal ventilation. It”ll serve as a haven from spring and summer heat and give teachers the opportunity to hold classes outdoors.
“The children could hardly wait today,” said Ward Stewart Principal Diane Baker. “It took a while to clear the space, pour the concrete and put the equipment in. The children love it. There”s a high level of excitement.”
HWS students would have been excited for new playground equipment under any circumstance, but these students were invested in the pavilion project.
Through the sale of assorted $5 boxes of chocolate, HWS students raised more than $18,000 to help fund the pavilion project. It was the most successful fundraising campaign in the school”s history.
“When we set out to sell it, we had no idea we”d make this much money,” 2010-11 Parent Teacher Association Co-President Denise Cosper said. “The participation from fourth and fifth grade was amazing.”
The PTA added $2,000 of surplus funds to the fundraising haul and turned to SSD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, who earlier agreed to match what the PTA raised with bond-issue funds.
Gonsoulin, who is in charge of SSD facilities, targeted HWS for a playground overhaul and believed the pavilion would be the perfect accent. Two years ago, the school went through a enrollment transition as sixth grade moved to Armstrong Middle School and third grade was moved to HWS. The flux of younger students made it a priority to upgrade equipment.
“When I tell you they didn”t have anything … they didn”t have anything,” Gonsoulin said. “No swings, no nothing. The collaborative effort to get the pavilion built really shows how much people in the community care and are willing to help.”
Teachers and administrators laud GoPlay! Initiative founder and SSD parent Heather Carson, whose efforts to create progressive play spaces and encourage active lifestyles has turned the playground into a learning landscape.
In addition to Evos creative play equipment — sub a typical jungle gym for a winding, twisted multi-layered one — the GoPlay brainstormers added a raised produce garden, a dry creek bed for science exploration and an area for bird observation.
“We want kids to be active, and we think the playground area encourages kids to play outside,” Carson said. “But we also want to inspire learning anywhere on campus.”
GoPlay”s partnerships with the city of Starkville, Starkville Parks and Recreation and the SSD helped the city earn “Playful City USA” recognition from nonprofit group Kaboom! earlier this week. SSD will sign an interlocal agreement with Parks and Rec that will allow residents to use SSD play spaces at designated times. In return, SSD will have certified playground inspectors to help keep playgrounds up to par. The agreement will also open larger grant avenues for future projects.
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