Children, parents, teachers, School District No. 46 administrators and board trustees were on hand at Madeira Park Elementary School May 1 for a special May Day celebration of their own - the opening of the new school playground.
Former Madeira Park principal Ray Clayton (now vice-principal at Chatelech) told the guests and children that making something happen "starts with an idea," and the idea was to have a new "playground that was safe and fun." A few years ago, parents and teachers started to look at what it would take to replace the old playground with something newer, bigger and better constructed to meet the needs of students of all ages and abilities. Tanis Zoyshley from the parents advisory committee (PAC) and playground committee chair was a powerhouse in working towards the new playground, Clayton said. He asked the students from kindergarten to Grade 6 what else was needed to make the playground a reality. A number of kids piped up that it needed money and fundraising. Clayton said money was indeed a necessary component in making the idea into a reality and said there were a number of people and groups who donated money, making the new structure possible. Among the major donors were the Pender Harbour community, the Vancouver Foundation, the Pender Harbour Rotary Club and the Sunshine Coast Credit Union. As well, a number of people made individual donations.
After acknowledgements and ribbon cutting, kids had a chance to play on the new equipment and share in refreshments.Two other schools on the Coast will also be getting new playgrounds with the help of the Rick Hansen Foundation's Let's Play project. Cedar Grove Elementary School in Gibsons and Kinnikinnick Elementary School in Sechelt have both been awarded funding to support construction of new playgrounds. Cedar Grove will use its funding to enhance an accessible play space and Kinnikinnick will be developing an adapted playground. The purpose of the Let's Play is so children and their parents or caregivers with a disability can participate in having fun on playgrounds. The $2.5 million Let's Play initiative was launched last year with funding provided from the provincial government ministries of Education and Children and Family Development.
Kinnikinnick teacher Gloria Lindsay said the school, kids and parents are very excited at the prospect of a new playground that will allow children of all abilities the chance to play and have fun.
