Students attending Pleasantdale School in Estevan were joined by staff, parents and School Community Council (SCC) members last Thursday evening for the official launching of the new equipment in the school's playground area.
The multi-featured activity centre includes all kinds of climbing, sliding and movement features that will intrigue the youngsters during their recess periods as well as before and after school adventures.
Principal Michelle Smart and SCC president Kim Toombs noted the equipment that cost about $60,000 was installed through the efforts of several school and community volunteers. Toombs added that a plaque containing the names of 21 financial contributors who injected $1,500 or more into the purchase, was to be unveiled that same night as a means of thanking them for their interest in the community's public school system.
Both women were later presented with bouquets of flowers for their leadership efforts and Estevan City Councillor Chris Istace had the honour of cutting the ribbon that officially launched the new playground apparatus and centre. The kids, however, were well ahead of the program organizers, as they played on the new equipment during the opening ceremonies, with the blessings of the organizers.
"It was a lot of work but it also provided lots of laughs and only a few tears," joked Smart as she spoke to a group of about 100 who had gathered for the event that also featured barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs.
"I was really amazed at the amount of support we received for the project," Smart added.
"The volunteers, and there were several, well, there was nothing they wouldn't do, whether it was working with shovels and rakes and moving sand to the installation. Kim and Kevin Toombs worked countless hours in making this happen."
In response, Toombs said a big thank you was due to Smart and the Pleasantdale staff for accepting the ideas and concepts that the SCC brought to their table.
"Whatever idea I had, we had, you were supportive and dedicated. You even put in three hard days of volunteer work, in the rain and then shovelling sand," she said with a laugh.
Istace noted how interactive the school has been through Twitter and other media and they were a fine example of showing the community how things can get done.
"Whether it's open house events, council information items, kids doing research, fundraising it never gets old for them and therefore we have another success story here," Istace said. "It's about giving back, so keep the positive things flowing."
