COLONIE – Five South Colonie Central School District playgrounds were honored in a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday, May 20 at Roessleville Elementary School.
Families with young children were invited to attend the ceremony alongside elementary school Principal Marybeth Tedisco, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Perry, South Colonie Board of Education members, and Assembly Members Phil Stek (D-Colonie) and Jake Ashby (R-C- Castleton).
Young children played on the Roessleville Elementary School playground post-ribbon cutting ceremony.
Rebuilding the outdoor spaces for students has been a priority for the school district as the school board evaluates the overall needs of the district, Perry said.
“The South Colonie School District is known for its amazing schools, and this new playground continues that tradition by providing our youngest learners with a safe space built to encourage their development and well-being,” Assemblymember Phil Steck said. “I’m proud to have provided funding for a project that is sure to have an impact on many of our families.”
Steck facilitated a $25,000 grant to South Colonie Schools to purchase the playground equipment. Donations from several South Colonie PTA groups were made.
In addition, the $30,000 for the school district, used to cover labor and concrete costs for the playgrounds, came from the American Plan Act ESSER grant.
In 2022, several South Colonie PTA groups announced grants to help cover the cost of both enhancing or replacing the existing playgrounds at each school. The equipment, arriving after the start of 2023, began its installation with the help of installation crews at each of the South Colonie Central School District elementary schools.
The final installment will take place at Shaker Road Elementary School.
“We are so thankful for the support of our PTAs and of course, Assemblymember Steck, in supporting this initiative. We look forward to celebrating this special time for our students.” Perry said.
“At a time when all of us are concerned about how much time our kids spend in front of screens and online, it was so refreshing to see a group of students who were genuinely excited about being outside,” Ashby said. “This is a great community investment, and I was glad to be on hand to celebrate the playground ribbon cutting.”
Perry made note of the importance of school playgrounds and student development at the ceremony.
“We knew that having outdoor playground space for our students to play was vital to their development. In addition to the physical benefits, the space also provides a natural setting for students to interact outside the classroom, where they can learn many life skills.” Perry concluded.
