Pembroke seeks playground to accommodate every need

Pembroke seeks playground to accommodate every need

For a child with special needs or disabilities, playing on playground equipment can be a daunting experience, especially when the equipment is older and needs a little TLC.

That’s why the administrators and teachers at Pembroke Elementary School are campaigning for a new playground with a special concern for students who are challenged navigating the older equipment. Pembroke has been selected to serve a number of special needs students in the district and, therefore, has six classrooms, one at each grade level (kindergarten through fifth grade) devoted to children with special needs.

Because the playground has an aged playset and a yard that fills with water to the point that the teachers set out cones and yellow caution tape to keep students away, recess is becoming out of reach for many of the school’s students, especially those who already face challenges.

“We need a playground that all of our children can use. We are doing this all together,” said principal Dr. Sharon Epple.

Leigh Viviano, a fifth-grade self-contained classroom teacher, has spearheaded the project to rebuild the playground at a cost of $150,000. To date, the project has raised $1800 and the school is applying for grants, in addition to soliciting parents and the community.

While there is one playscape suitable for children ages two to five that’s in good condition and a few usable swings, Viviano and her special education colleagues have mapped out a playground with Childscapes in Massachusetts that will include a sensory garden (similar to an existing model at Rogers Park playground), a safety rock-climbing wall and spinners, in addition to newer playscapes. The project is spearheaded by Pembroke’s School Governance Council (SGC) and Viviano, a SGC member, is in charge of fundraising.

One of her concerns is that children with disabilities can’t negotiate the equipment that is too high or steep. Some students may be prone to seizures, so the anxiety of tackling a dangerous incline can lead to serious medical issues. Children in wheelchairs must also be considered. The new playground design includes platforms that are wheelchair-accessible.

Right now, Viviano says, children who can’t access the equipment just mill around the play yard because that’s all they can do. She said a new playground would add volumes to their confidence and skills.

“Some students are very weary out there,” Viviano said. “They aren’t comfortable with the equipment, so they don’t know what to do and it breaks my heart. Being able to play with other children outside pushes them to have more peer interaction independently.”

“We were going to fix what we have,” Epple added, “but why not make a playground that champions all of our needs here?”

The estimates for the new playground include $65,000 for equipment, $60,000 for removal of old equipment, grading, drainage and installation of new equipment. An additional $20,000 is figured in for hidden costs.

The school has set up a website: www.pembrokeplayground.com where individuals can send tax-deductible donations and the school also started a GoFundMe page.

Because there is no other accessible playground in the district – the closest are one in Ridgefield’s Ballard Park and another in the town of Brookfield – the playground would be open to anyone afterschool and on the weekends.

For more information on the playground, contact Leigh Viviano at vivial@danbury.k12.ct.us.