December 20, 2022
ASHLEY — Brightmark is throwing its weight behind the fundraising effort to build a new, inclusive playground for Country Meadow Elementary.
The school has a goal of building a new playground that will be able to be used by all of the students at the school, which includes pre-kindergarten students and special needs students.
As part of their academic structure, Country Meadow offers a tailored program for social and emotional learning — competencies they intentionally teach, review, and practice with pre-K through fifth-grade students.
“And so since that time, we have added all-day preschool here,” said Country Meadow Principal Jane Bitting. “We’ve added the EI (emotionally impaired) preschool program that I talked about with our students who have some challenges, and then we’re all-day kindergarten, and so when we talk about accessibility, it is accessibility for kids with those physical disabilities, but it’s also accessibility for our littles.”
The current playground, while it is in good shape, it’s just too large for many of the younger students.
“We have our playground equipment, and it’s too big for them. Like they’re not allowed to be on the slides. Because the slides are too tall. We have just a few swings that are at their height. We have like a climbing dome. They’re only allowed to go up on the first rung. Because, again, we don’t want them too high,” Bitting said.
The new playground will bring in equipment that’s smaller and has better access for the younger students as well as activities for the older students.
“It’s just all of those components. So the new playground actually allows for a pre-K,” Bitting said.
There will be a playhouse for the children and handicap-accessible swings.
Brightmark has been promoting a GoFundMe page for the effort and made a pledge of $10,000 from the company for the effort. Even employees from the waste plastic-to-fuel conversion plant have donated.
“I tell you what, like the buzz around the Brightmark donation has been fun because every week I publish a newsletter to our families, and it has our thermometer, and when they got to see a $10,000 jump, I mean, that was just like, people were very excited,” said Jane Bitting, principal at Country Meadow.
Brightmark founder Bob Powell said he was pleased to make the donation happen and get behind the effort. Many people in the community have come forward, including one individual who has excavating equipment and has pledged time that will save the school an expense of about $30,000.
“It seems like with all the efforts going on for just this playground, this fits the ‘it takes a village,’” Powell said.
While the Brightmark donation was huge, Bitting said all donations count, and nothing is too small.
She has written a couple of grant applications and is awaiting word on those.
Beyond that, it’s all about the fundraising. The goal is to raise $360,000
A big push started this week with mailers that went out. And an effort is going to be made to make a push on social media and through email lists.
The GoFundMe page can be found at https://bit.ly/3CdfOIT.
