I am so happy to share that in late October, we finished installing new playground equipment to expand access for children with special needs at Kelseyville Elementary School.
Experts tell us what we intuitively know about play: The American Academy of Pediatrics says play is essential to human development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Said another way, play is how we figure out how to get along with others, how to test our physical limits, how to overcome our fears, and so much more.
If you think back to your elementary school days, I’m guessing it’s easier to remember being on the playground than being in the classroom. Time on the playground is less structured. It’s the time when students have the freedom to make choices and see the consequences of those choices with their peers–this is where some powerful learning takes place.
All elementary school students in our district who require a higher level of support for special needs attend Kelseyville Elementary. As part of their learning journey, they sometimes require the kind of assessments and care that get reimbursed by the State of California. Because the assessments and care are typically done by KVUSD employees in the course of their regular responsibilities, this reimbursement is collected into an account to pay for emerging needs these students may have. This is how the playground project blossomed.
A couple of parents with students who have extensive support needs reached out to our Director of Student Support Services, Keely Antoni, to ask about enhancing their children’s playground. For safety reasons, the ground was covered in wood chips, making it difficult for kids in wheelchairs to navigate, and the equipment itself had steps instead of ramps, making it hard for anyone with mobility issues to use.
Keely had already discussed this with our Director of Building, Grounds, and Maintenance, Kyle Reams, several times and both of them wanted to update the equipment, but they hadn’t yet figured out how to pay for it. If you’ve never looked into installing a playground (or doing any construction) on a public school campus, let me tell you, it’s expensive!
Keely had been thinking about this a lot, which is probably why she woke up in the middle of the night with a Eureka moment–she realized that the reimbursement funds might be available to pay for the playground. These funds can only be spent if a special committee gives permission. The committee comprises community members, Lake County SELPA Director, Kelseyville Unified's Director of Student Support Services, Director of Healthy Start, Kelseyville Unified's CBO. Keely took the idea to the committee and received overwhelming support to grant the funding.
Then she and Kyle got to work to design the space. Kyle reached out to our playground equipment vendor and worked with them to create three-dimensional models to figure out the best configuration. They considered the current needs, but also tried to plan for future needs, like how this playground could connect with other playgrounds.
Students have had a front-row seat as the playground has taken shape, putting their little faces against the fence to ask when it will be done so they can play. Although the playground is designed for children with special needs, it will be available to other students, too. This is called “reverse inclusion.” Oftentimes, students in special education are included in general education classes and programs. In this case, students without special needs will be included in a playground designed for children with special needs.
The more we integrate students of all abilities into common spaces and allow them to interact and play together, the more they learn about each other and themselves. I am grateful to the parents who advocated for their children. I am grateful to Keely and Kyle who are always thinking of ways to support our students, and I am grateful to the committee members who thoughtfully reviewed and approved the plans to make this beautiful playground a reality.