playground

The Pembroke Primary School community gathered Friday to celebrate the grand opening of a new playground, a project two years in the making. 

Students found it hard to contain their excitement as they anxiously waited for the big moment to take place at the entrance to the playground. 

 “Cut the ribbon, cut the ribbon,” they yelled out in unison while some also exclaimed that “this playground is awesome!”

Superintendent Matthew Calderon began the ceremony by reflecting on the legacy of the old playground, which was built 30 years ago with the help of the current students' parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. He also noted the assistance given to the district for the upgraded design of what they celebrated this week.

“Special thanks to everyone that helped us with the playground, especially Play By Design’s Lee Archen, SEI Design, Alleghany Services, Campus Construction," he said. "And you know you need to give it up for our Director of Facilities Jim Green and Principal (Patty) Zika."

Zika shared that the journey to the new playground began two years ago when current third graders were in first grade. Each student wrote a persuasive essay convincing her for a new playground, expressing concerns about broken equipment and safety hazards.

The students had many ideas for the new playground, and many of their suggestions were taken into consideration.

The community build took place over two weeks at the end of August, with Alleghany Services handling grading, laying stone, and mulching. Despite having only 72 volunteers, those who participated contributed significant hours to ensure the playground was completed on time.

Among the dedicated volunteers was Gordon Crosby, a retired optical technician who also helped build the previous playground. Crosby logged nearly 60 hours during the two-week project. 

The new playground features not only accessible swings and bars but also sensory areas, a spinning swing, animal tracking stations, and musical components. Zika emphasized that the playground will be open to the community outside of school hours from dawn to dusk. 

“Come and enjoy it, and please take care of it,” Zika said.

Looking ahead, they are planning on bringing the refurbished murals from the old playground back and installing a picnic area on the side. 

Facilities Director Jim Green praised the volunteers and donors who made the project possible. 

“My staff did a great job adapting to ensure we finished on time and that the schools were ready for the kids’ return,” Green said.

For prior coverage about the project, go HERE

Press Release:

Northgate Church is thrilled to announce the dedication and grand opening of the Northgate Playground on July 14 at noon. We warmly invite the community to join us at Northgate’s North Campus, 8160 Bank Street Road, for this special event.

The Northgate Playground is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, with the exception of Sundays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. This new playground offers a safe and fun environment for children and families to enjoy. For more information, please contact the Northgate office at 585-343-4011 or visit our website at northgatefmc.com.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

Pembroke Central Schools is thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting community-driven project to upgrade the Primary School playground. 

Following the successful passing of Proposition 1 in the 2023 Capital Project vote, the community will come together once again to build a new, modern playground that will serve as a cornerstone for the school and the neighborhood. The updated playground will occupy the same large footprint and incorporate the local and farm theme with touches of Pembroke Dragon flare. 

Great care is being taken to restore and incorporate the original wooden mural that showcased local landmarks. It is a priority the playground reflects the unique character and pride of our community. 

This project was designed and will be led by Play By Design, a renowned playground design firm. For more information on Play By Design, visit their website at https://pbdplaygrounds.com.

History and Background
The current Primary School playground, designed in 1993 and installed in 1995 as a community build project led by Leathers Playgrounds and Associates, has been a beloved fixture for nearly three decades. 

Over the years, it has provided countless hours of enjoyment and physical activity for our students. However, given its age and the increasing maintenance challenges, it is time for a significant upgrade to ensure safety and inclusivity for all children.

What is a Community Build?
A community build involves local residents in the organization and creation of a community project. This interactive process not only results in a unique and high-quality playground, but also fosters a sense of pride and ownership among participants. The collective effort transforms the environment into a lasting symbol of community spirit.

Benefits of a Community Build Playground 

1. Cost Savings: By leveraging volunteer labor and donated materials, the overall cost of the playground can be reduced, allowing more funds to be allocated to high-quality equipment and innovative play elements for the kids.
2. Community Pride: Bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to work on a common goal enhances community bonds and fosters a sense of accomplishment. 
3. Enhanced Design: Each playground is tailored to reflect the local community's cultural, historical, and aesthetic values, resulting in a unique and meaningful space for children. 
4. Safety and Inclusivity: The new playground will comply with ASTM International and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards, as well as ADA accessibility guidelines, ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all children.

Call for Volunteers
We are calling on parents, families, and community members to join us in this monumental effort. The playground build is scheduled to take place from August 20-31, following the tear-down of the existing structure between June 26 and July 26. We need volunteers with various skills and a passion for community service to fill a variety of roles, including:

• General Laborers: At least 25 general laborers are needed, with some requiring power tool experience. 
• Leadership Roles: We are seeking coordinators for playground removal, volunteer management, tools, materials, and food.
• Crew Leaders/Supervisors: Six dedicated individuals to oversee construction crews and ensure the quality of the build.

"I hear over and over that the experience of building the first playground was magical. While we can't replicate that exact moment, we aim to provide our community with another opportunity to come together to create a modern, updated playground and some amazing memories along the way," said Superintendent Calderón.

Get Involved 
Interested volunteers are encouraged to complete the volunteer survey by June 3. Please join us in building a playground that will provide joy and safety for our children and stand as a testament to the strength and unity of the Pembroke community.

For more information, please click and complete the volunteer survey.

Submitted photos.

 

This story has been updated, see below.

Robert Morris Elementary School is among 1,000 competitors in the Pepsi Refresh Project this month -- and if all goes well, they'll be one of the grant recipients. They want you to cast votes for them -- that's how the winners are chosen.

The school, located at 80 Union St. in Batavia, submitted a project idea to build a better, environmentally friendly playground there.

Each month, Pepsi ponies up $1.2 million in grant funds for worthy projects in the United States. Thus, there are 12 submission periods. If a project doesn't win one month, it can be resubmitted, according to the website rules. And if it made the top 100, it will automatically be rolled into the next month's competition.

This month, there were 1,096 ideas submitted. But only the first 1,000 are considered and only 32 will win money. It breaks down like this: two get $250,000; 10 get $50,000; 10 get $25,000; and 10 get $5,000.

The grants fall into six categories: health and fitness; food and shelter, education; The Planet; neighborhoods; and arts and culture.

People can go online and vote up to 10 times a day per person, per IP address/account. Voting ends at the end of December. Potential winners will be notified within the first week of January. Actual winners will be posted online by mid-month.

UPDATE:

Robert Morris School Principal Diane Bonarigo said that playground improvements -- designed by Parkitects -- are based on surveys filled out by parents, teachers and students.

Some features of the new playground would include safer and more usable equipment for kids with disabilities, equipment that is more suited for younger children, solar lighting in the evening for safety, more trees and mulch, and more opportunities for kids to get active.

Teacher Jerry Sloan said that the Playground Committee, of which he is the faculty leader, wanted this project to extend "beyond the scope of our school."

"The playground is used by the community," said teacher Jerry Sloan of the Playground Committee. "And for a lot of kids, it's one of the few available means of recreation."

"We're not just doing this for us," Bonarigo said. "We're doing it for the community. We think it will benefit (Batavia) for years to come."

1. You can go to refresheverything.com/robertmorrisplagyround, where you can find more information -- including a video made by students, staff and parents -- and vote by clicking the "Vote for this idea" tab (upper right).

2. You can also vote via text messaging. Simply text to 73774 and enter 104607 in the message.

3. If you have a Facebook account, you can enter your Facebook username and password to cast your vote (and also share with friends).