BKW Elementary School is getting a new primary playground and it will be amazing! Installation of the new equipment is scheduled to begin during spring break, so the new playground will be ready after students return to school, weather permitting.
[May 12 update: The weather and installation conditions have greatly improved and construction is moving along!]
“Our new primary playground will be a wonderful enhancement for our school and will provide a safe and exciting place for our students to play and grow. They are going to love it!” said Elementary Principal Annette Landry.
Planned and designed by a committee of BKW Elementary teachers and staff, the new playground was funded through federal COVID grant monies. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Act (CRRSA) was the second part of the federal government’s response to support schools in managing needs related to COVID.
“These funds were administered through NYSED and we chose to use nearly 17% of our allocation to support our youngest learners in their social/emotional development by installing a new playground system, which is designed to specifically engage students in a variety of social interactions as they play together, making ‘play’ a learning activity,” said BKW Superintendent Dr. Timothy Mundell.
The committee explored playspaces and options, researched playground companies and met with playground consultants. The committee selected the company, equipment, playspace layout and color scheme to match the needs of BKW’s primary students, both now and in the future.
“One of the things we heard when planning the playground was that our students love to swing and were always waiting to take turns on our old playground,” Landry said. “Our new playground has eight swings, including a swing that is accessible for children with disabilities and a tot-chair for infants. The playground offers other features aligned with the Americans with Disabilities Act and was planned to provide the greatest amount of play spaces for our children.”
Children will be climbing, sliding, spinning, swinging and using their imagination on the new primary playground. The climbing wall remains in the playspace, and work is being done on a new covered sandbox in the primary play area.
“Our goal was to enhance our playspace with exciting, new play equipment for the benefit of all of our students,” Landry said. “Working together, our district’s leadership, faculty and staff are achieving that goal, and we are so proud to offer the best learning – and playing – environment that we can for BKW’s children.”
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