When it rains, or the snow melts, students at Richer School lose nearly 70% of their playground.

Richer School Principal Sandra Pott says they applied to the Seine River School Division for a grant, because drainage issues allow flooding in the playground. “There's a very high water table in Richer, so it does get swampy and the whole playground needs to be raised, leveled and graded.”

The Seine River School Board recently approved the application, awarding $15,000 to the school for upgrading the playground.

Pott says the playground has dips and swales with a few high spots, and no drainage at all. “A lot of the playground is just not usable. We end up with more conflicts outside because they [the students] want to use the flooded area. The whole back field is unusable, and it narrows down areas to play.”

Pott says, “the $15,000 will at least allow us to bring in some fill and some topsoil and seed, and we'll be able to do different sections, probably starting with the two soccer fields.”

Pott adds, the long term plan is to include a natural exploration playground area where students would be able to explore berms, treed areas, stumps, stones and boulders to encourage creative play. "We have a lot of plans for creating hills and tunnels and things like that, but that's long term."

 

(Photo credit: Sandra Pott)