Warden Elementary cuts ribbon on new playground
A girl hangs on the monkey bars on one of Warden Elementary School’s two new playground sets Friday morning.
CHARLES H. FEATHERSTONE/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Jill Massa, director of teaching and learning for the Warden School District, prepares to cut the ribbon during a formal ceremony to celebrate the installation of two new sets of playground equipment at Warden Elementary School on Friday.
Warden Elementary School Principal Curtis Weber gives students a short briefing on the safest way to use the school’s new playground equipment. The district formally inaugurated the new playground sets, which were purchased with a $145,000 state grant, during a short ceremony Friday morning.
A student smiles after sliding down one of the new slides at Warden Elementary School on Friday.
WARDEN — The rules for using the new playground equipment at Warden Elementary School are fairly simple, according to Principal Curtis Weber.
“When we’re on the swing, we have to sit on our bottoms only,” Weber said as he spoke to a large gathering of Warden Elementary students sitting outside. “You can face either direction if you want to, but you have to sit on your bottom.”
The same applies to the slides, Weber said. Everyone needs to take turns when climbing, sliding or swinging, the principal explained, including counting to 100 if you are waiting to use the swings.
“We need to take turns. We need to be safe. Do not jump off the equipment at all. You have to climb down,” he said.
There were a few other rules. No running or playing in the new playground areas, don’t mess with the bark surface.
“That’s all the rules I have,” Weber concluded. “Are you guys ready to get started?”
“Yes!” the students responded loudly.
The new equipment was soon covered with kids climbing, swinging, sliding and hanging on various bars. The school district purchased the new playground gear as the result of a $145,000 Healthy Kid-Healthy Schools grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state agency that oversees schools in Washington.
Warden Superintendent Scott West said the new equipment was a long time in coming.
“It’s been a long process just with the backorder of materials as a result of COVID,” West said. “We’ve been waiting a little over a year to be able to have this celebration.”
The grant paid for two new playground setups at Warden Elementary School, West said. As part of the ceremony, Jill Massa, director of teaching and learning for the Warden School District, cut a long blue ribbon held by third graders Byron Gonzalez and Aisha Cruz, who also demonstrated the proper way to use the swings, slide down the slides and climb the new playground equipment.
“It was my first time doing it,” Gonzalez said of being a demonstrator. “And I liked it. I was kind of shy when I did it but not that shy.”
Charles H. Featherstone is a senior reporter with the Columbia Basin Herald and may be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.
