On April 18th, Parker installed a new piece of equipment into the courtyard playground. It replaced a previous piece of equipment which students could stand and jump on that had been in disrepair for a while. The new addition to the courtyard features climbing ropes, a metal frame, and small plastic platforms.
The new equipment has been used by nearly every age range at Parker, sparking interest in Junior Kindergarteners and Upper Schoolers alike. “I think it looks pretty cool. I went down there during Democrafest and I sat on it, and it was very comfortable, very supportive and I think people are having a lot of fun on it,”11th grader Shalen Chawla said. During Democrafest, an Upper School only student government event, the equipment was in use by multiple students, all out of the intended age range.
Taken by the excitement of a new piece of equipment, younger students ended up forming a line to play on the new apparatus. “Nobody’s even using the other things anymore,” Chawla said. The equipment it replaced had been a feature of Parker’s courtyard for quite a long time. The square-shaped spring platform had taken a lot of wear and tear over the years, and had grown unusable. “The old equipment was horrible. It kept breaking,” seventh grader Adam Nashashibi said. At a certain point, the equipment had to be roped off, and eventually replaced.
While the new addition is intended for ages 5-12, according to Lower School Dean of Student Life, Ashleigh St. Peters, “it can hold a lot of weight safely. There’s just continued conversation between the division heads right now about exactly how we’ll make sure that we use it safely, and we’ll communicate to the community who can be on it because we want it to last for a really long time.” As of right now, no policies exist against older students using it, but JK-fifth grade is the age range best suited for the equipment.
“I think that all the division heads, in partnership with the director of facilities and our system principal, are thinking about how to preserve the longevity of the equipment, and what makes sense for the different age students, knowing that all of our kids need movement breaks during the day,” St. Peters said. Overall, the new equipment was chosen carefully and is intended to safely entertain younger students.
