Hermann Elementary Has School Wide Prize For New Playground Fundraiser
by Jessica Nelson
Each morning, the Hermann elementary school starts the day with a full school assembly in the gym to go over announcements, Star Awards and to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Friday morning's assembly had a different energy to it as students were going to find out who earned different prizes after a recent fundraising drive for a new playground surface and equipment.
But the buzz wasn't so much for the individual prizes as one school wide prize.
The chance to see principal Steve Heidger dressed up as 'Miss America.'
The idea of dressing up as Miss America was pitched to Heidger by Kendra Brune, a kindergarten teacher at the elementary and teacher representative on the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), who felt him dressing up would really get the students excited about the fundraiser.
“We'd discussed it and I'd offered some other suggestions of incentives but she felt that me putting on a dress would gather that kind of interest,” said Heidger. “So I reluctantly agreed.”
The fundraising drive started on February 19 and ran until March 1; each student was given the goal of raising $30. The top classroom prize went to Karen Miller's first grade class who earned “popcorn in the park” for raising $486.96; the top prize went to Cullen O'Toole, also in Miller's first grade class, for raising $180.96. O'Toole was given his choice of three razor scooters which were given to the top three students. As a school, students raised $3,675.37 for the new playing surface and equipment.
Heidger said the biggest problem with the current playing surfaces is the pea gravel itself. He said the gravel gets into student's shoes and then is brought into the school, damaging the flooring. Most of all, according to Heidger, the school hears from the parents about the pea gravel.
“The kids bring the pea gravel home in their shoes,” said Heidger. “How they can walk around all day with that in their shoes is beyond me.”
Another major problem with having the pea gravel is that it isn't handicap accessible and the new rubberized mulch will meet all Americans With Disabilities Act requirements according to Heidger.
“It will give our students what we feel is a cleaner and safer surface. Aesthetically it will improve the playground as well,” said Heidger.
The Hermann preschool currently uses the rubberized mulch the elementary looks to add as several other surrounding area schools do also. Heidger says some of the schools also use a 'pour and play' surface which is more of a solid surface but is very giving. The preschool was able to add the mulch through a grant, giving the elementary a 'test run' to see if the mulch was what they wanted to switch to.
The steps to replace the current surfaces and estimated 30 year old swing set in the elementary playground have been in place but the cost to do so has hindered the efforts. Heidger hopes the April bond issue passes and the elementary can get additional funding.
“We hope to utilize some of that money should it be successful [in passing]. We're going to do everything at one time,” said Heidger. “It's probably going to be anywhere from $40,000 – 60,000 for replacing the equipment and improving the surface with rubberized mulch. The surface is almost as expensive as the equipment.”
Heidger said they look to replace the four person swing set with a piece of playground equipment similar to what they installed five years ago, but without the slides.
“The middle school has something they purchased a while back that's just an active on and off, to run, climb but no slides,” said Heidger. “We feel the slides we have are adequate. It'll give us three pieces of equipment out there then it'll accommodate larger classrooms.”
Gathering all of the money before they actually purchase new surfacing and equipment has been the main activity according to Heidger. He said the elementary has talked with a St. Louis based company and their sales representative already for the new surface and equipment but they have just given bids up to this point. Heidger said the school looks to make a final decision once the full funding is in place.
“If the bond issue was not to pass, then the PTO would move forward on their own and we are going to rubberize one section of the playground at a time,” said Heidger. “We have the funds to do one section now.”
Heidger said that if the funding is to become available, the new surface and equipment would be installed over the spring and summer to be ready for the 2010-2011 school year starting in August.