Although students at Richardson Elementary have been enjoying their fun, new accessible playground since earlier this fall, it didn’t diminish their excitement at seeing the playground officially opened on Tuesday morning.
The universally accessible playground was made possible after the school received a $165,000 grant through the provincial government’s Playground Equipment Program.
The playground enables inclusive play by creating a multi-faceted, sensory-rich play space where children, regardless of abilities, ages, stages, needs or preferences, can enjoy unstructured outdoor play. The playground incorporates ground level and elevated sensory, imaginative, cognitive, and social play elements, with the aim of maximizing a rewarding play experience for every child.
Prior to the ribbon-cutting, a ceremony was held inside the gymnasium for all students to celebrate the new playground. Neha (Grade 7) and Tayyaba (Grade 6) emceed the event, while students Ridhay (Grade 3), Cleo (Grade 3), Adelynn (Grade 3) and Aarav (Grade 2) shared their thanks for the new playground.
The ribbon cutting event was attended by special guests including the North Delta MLA Ravi Kahlon, Delta School District vice-chair Joe Muego, trustee Nick Kanakos, assistant superintendent Brad Bauman, and school principal Patricia Wilson.
“In order to have vibrant and healthy communities we need to continue to invest in community amenities such as parks and playgrounds,” said Kahlon. “Richardson will be the fourth playground that our government has invested in for North Delta since I became the MLA for this great riding. Today’s investment continues our commitment to parents and children by providing them safe, accessible, and fun playground equipment for them to enjoy.”
Muego said it is great to see North Delta benefit from another new playground.
“Playgrounds are safe spaces where kids develop crucial physical, social, emotional, and imaginative skills necessary to gain self-confidence, improve coordination, and advance critical thinking capabilities,” he said. “They help students learn to be citizens through play, sharing and collaboration. The importance of giving our students a safe place to do just that cannot be overstated. Today, we are celebrating another milestone in Richardson Elementary’s history and our collective progress in making Delta School District an innovative, inclusive community where all learners belong, and everyone soars.”
Thanks were expressed to all those who contributed to the project’s success – a project that will serve not only Richardson Elementary’s students, but also the entire local community.
