Marthasville students help create interactive playground

By: Cindy Gladden, Staff Writer
Posted 1/1/21

Playgrounds don’t have to be boring and students at Marthasville Elementary are taking quite an interest in sharing their ideas for a more interesting place to spend recess.

Principal …

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Marthasville students help create interactive playground

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Playgrounds don’t have to be boring and students at Marthasville Elementary are taking quite an interest in sharing their ideas for a more interesting place to spend recess.

Principal Kristen Daffron has headed up the effort of turning a huge piece of blacktop into a place where her students can take part in more engaging activities.

“I asked the kids if they wanted to add some things and I really wanted to get their input,” she said. “They really filled my brain with ideas.”

Daffron said the project has been an effort by the parents, students, staff and community. So far, tic tac toe, tether ball, twister, four square, hop scotch and checkers has been added. One student painted rocks and shells she has collected to use for hop scotch and checkers.

Several parents and grandparents have chipped in with labor, materials and equipment. 

“One grandpa brought his tractor and spread our gravel,” said Daffron. “Marthasville Lumber donated $1,000 of materials to build benches.”

Daffron is grateful for the community support Marthasville Elementary receives. She realizes that the improvements couldn’t be done without the efforts of the parents. She said the new surround sound for the gym was directly attributed to various fundraisers held recently.

“If we are fundraising, we need to spend it, not let it just sit,” she said. “We have a great school and I want people to notice it. I want it to look nice so people are curious about what we do.”

There are lots of plans brewing for the campus. Daffron is speaking to a local contractor about adding a patio and pavilion that could also be used by families in the community. Another idea is to make a dry creek flower bed made with rainbow rocks painted by students. She also hopes to add a sun shade area on the blacktop.

Another huge priority is to add an outdoor classroom which will include a sensory pathway and exercise stations. Daffron hopes to use an outer space theme.

School is challenging in the age of COVID, but the staff at Marthasville Elementary is making the best of it and continuing to strive to make their student’s education even more stimulating.

Marthasville Elementary School

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