Taking a ride with students on an Oodle Swing. Giving a colleague a twirl in the Global Motion. Up and over the Portal Climber.
You couldn91裸聊视频檛 wipe the smile off Rachna Singh91裸聊视频檚 face Tuesday morning in Vernon.
B.C.91裸聊视频檚 education minister was on hand to officially open the new accessible and inclusive playground at Alexis Park Elementary School May 16, then proceeded to join students in playing on the new equipment.
91裸聊视频淚 could spend the whole day here,91裸聊视频� laughed Singh, after sharing the Oodle Swing with Vernon Monashee MLA, NDP colleague Harwinder Sandhu, who received a push around the Global Motion equipment from the minister.
91裸聊视频淧laygrounds are excellent for our kids91裸聊视频� physical and mental health, and are spaces where they can be themselves and express their fun-loving nature. Our government is helping communities throughout the province with better access to modern playground equipment that will benefit everyone.91裸聊视频�
Thousands more students will soon have access to new, safe and accessible playgrounds that support play and health as the province continues to support the Playground Equipment Program (PEP) for a sixth year.
This year, the PEP will provide $5 million toward 25 new school playgrounds across 25 school districts. The province, said Singh, has increased the amount of funding that school districts will receive per playground to $195,000. Playgrounds are expected to be designed, built and installed over the next year.
The program significantly reduces parent-led fundraising that was previously needed to help build playgrounds.
The playground at Alexis Park Elementary was actually constructed in 2020.
91裸聊视频淎lexis Park students love their new playground and we have seen positive changes in mental health and engagement since it has been completed,91裸聊视频� said acting principal Cordell Ware.
Singh and Sandhu were joined on the Oodle Swing by students Brody Panter-Stokes, Lexa Meise, and Callandra Salhus-Grant. Panter-Stokes is a Grade 5 student who has mobility issues so the new playground for him is, in a word, 91裸聊视频渁wesome.91裸聊视频� And it91裸聊视频檚 an upgrade from the old playground.
91裸聊视频淥h yeh, it (playground) definitely makes a difference. It91裸聊视频檚 pretty awesome,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really fun, really cool,91裸聊视频� said Meise, a Grade 6 student who is a big fan of the monkey bars. 91裸聊视频淭his playground is more accessible for all students.91裸聊视频�
Fellow monkey bar lover Salhus-Grant, who is in Grade 4, loves the new playground but91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频淭here should be more monkey bars. I really like monkey bars.91裸聊视频�
Playgrounds promote physical activity, while encouraging students to share and develop conflict-resolution skills. They also provide students with opportunities to learn new things, reduce anxiety, improve focus, increase attention span, and enhance gross-motor, social, emotional and sensory development.
91裸聊视频淧laying is essential to every child91裸聊视频檚 mental and physical health,91裸聊视频� said Sandhu, whose son is an Alexis Park alumnus. 91裸聊视频淭he Alexis Park community91裸聊视频檚 playground has provided a safe place where children and families can play, create adventures and grow together for many more years to come.91裸聊视频�
Joining the festivities Tuesday morning were Grade 7 emcees Allison Sanchez and Gabe Teeples, Vernon School District board vice-chair Tom Williamson, the Alexis Park Grade 4-6 choir with teacher Tobi Huggins conducting, and the school91裸聊视频檚 Parent Advisory Council chair Laura Tifenbach, who said the entire community will benefit from the accessible, inclusive playground.
91裸聊视频淥ur children get to play on excellent equipment,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t is great to hear them laugh and wonderful to see them all having a great time. It has become a place for the community to come together and enjoy play.91裸聊视频�
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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