When Rebecca Boone Elementary in Warrenton was built, the R-III School District had students in different elementary grade levels assigned to different schools. Although that model changed years ago, …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
When Rebecca Boone Elementary in Warrenton was built, the R-III School District had students in different elementary grade levels assigned to different schools. Although that model changed years ago, one thing that didn’t change was the playground equipment.
“Initially, it was only a fourth- through fifth-grade school. So they didn’t have the playground for the little ones,” said former PTO president Elise Morris. In 2018, the PTO launched a fundraising campaign to change that, initiating “penny wars,” dances and special events at the school, along with monthly Pizza Hut nights and community fundraising outside of school.
The response from the community was dramatically more than they expected, Morris said. The PTO raised about $45,000 in 13 months, and was ready to have a brand new playground installed at the beginning of 2020.
“I was honored. I was blown away, amazed,” Morris commented. “All these people, who you didn’t even know, were supporting the kids, and that’s huge in a small town like this.”
Continuing that community support, the plan had been to have volunteers come to the school to build the playground in the spring of 2020. Of course, that’s when COVID struck, and the playground equipment instead lingered in storage for nearly 12 months.
After a year of delayed gratification, the black and red jungle gym now stands proudly in RBE’s back lot, and will provide fun for generations of students to come. It was only thanks to the generous support of time and money from families, school staff and local businesses that this was possible, Morris said.
“A grandparent had a birthday ... and that year she wanted money for the playground so her granddaughter could play. That was one of my favorite stories” Morris recalled, also sharing about a first grader who gave her a single quarter for the fundraiser.
“He said, ‘That’s my only quarter in the piggy bank, but this is for the playground,’ because he was so excited.”
Principal Steve Weeks said the new playground equipment is designed for students from kindergarten through fifth grade to be able to play. Actual construction for the new equipment started around December, but was slow going because of poor weather and conditions, Weeks said.
Now that the new playground is nearly complete, Weeks said the school is planning to have a day for community supporters to celebrate with an official grand opening event. A sign at the playground will list the names of major contributors who helped make the new play area possible.
“I really appreciate our PTO and our community helping with the fundraising. We’re really excited to finally get this put in,” Weeks said. “This will be here for years to come for all the kids of the community.”
