It’s high time for students at Columneetza Junior Secondary School to have a playground of their own, and today the school is one step closer to making that happen.
“It’s a huge endeavour,” said Hattie Darney, principal of the school.
The school’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC) has been trying to set up a playground for the school even before Darney became principal eight years ago, but it’s been a difficult process.
Darney said there are many grants available to make upgrades on existing playgrounds, but they require there to already be an existing playground. Columneetza, which operated as a secondary school until 2013 when it began hosting students primarily from Grades 7 to 9, does not qualify for these grants.
“We don’t have a playground to upgrade,” Darney said.
As for the PAC, any funds they receive through their main grant must be used within so many months, so it’s been virtually impossible to accumulate the money needed to build a playground.
“So, we have to get creative,” Darney said.
Melissa Coates, the PAC’s current vice-chair and representative at the District Parent Advisory Council as well as the recently elected school board trustee for School District 27 Zone 4, is determined to see this happen.
“Melissa has been very willing to spearhead and kind of take on the big fundraising side of it,” said Darney. Meanwhile, Darney has been working on the logistics of the project, determining possible locations and dimensions for the playground.
“It’s a slow process, but I think together we’re going to get this done,” Darney said.
With preliminary designs beginning to take shape, the two are now ready to really kick off fundraising efforts.
In November, $1,200 was raised for the project through a Smash for Cash event at the school with the support of the Williams Lake Minor Hockey U15 Rep Boys Hockey team and Bee Jay Auto Wrecking and Towing.
Now, Coates is reaching out to as many parents and community members as she can to get the word out and rack in donations for the playground. Their current fundraising target for playground equipment is $300,000 plus.
“Even if it takes us a couple of years to generate this money, it’s better than not having anything 10 years from now,” Darney said.
In the meantime, students at Columneetza at least have the option of using the playground next door at Nesika Elementary School.
"Tons of kids use the Nesika playground every day,” Darney said. But, she said, “We’re looking for something different...we need to make this more age appropriate.”
Brooklyn Potter, Siena Agenllo and Jana Fischer, Grade 9 students with just a few days left at Columneetza, said they believed their school could benefit from a playground.
They said they mostly hang out with their friends on their breaks, but they see lots of students, from Grades 7 to 9, use the playground at Nesika.
When asked to reflect on their time at school, the students said they felt quite bored during their breaks while in Grade 7.
Students at Columneetza have access to the school’s basketball court, and in recent years they’ve been able to take part in activities hosted by teachers such as volleyball and softball.
“Those kinds of things keep our kids here; they keep them interested and engaged,” Darney said, adding that their goal is to keep kids on campus, and keep them busy.
One activity which has been particularly popular with students is working out at the school’s fitness centre.
“I know that the gym here...is really, really popular with students so I know that the kids would love this,” said Coates as she and Darney explained what they envisioned to be an ‘age appropriate’ playground.
They’re thinking of designing the playground as a ‘parkour’ circuit, allowing students to move through and around obstacles.
“This I think would be absolutely loved,” Coates said as she described the playground as being an outdoor version of the school’s indoor fitness centre. “It would be the little crown jewel here."
The best part, she said, is that the school is centrally located, meaning children from around the community could easily use the playground after school hours too.
“I love that all the kids get to use it," Coates said.
Darney said the playground would also help the school further develop a culture where it is ok to incorporate breaks into instruction.
“It’s really great to put a brain break in your class or a fit break,” she said, and the playground would give teachers the option of bringing their students out for a five-minute lap around the circuit.
The PAC is asking for minimum donations of $20 and encourages larger donations from those who can afford it. To support the construction of a playground at Columneetza, you can e-transfer a donation to cjsspac@gmail.com.
