Students raced in a swarm to be the first to the top of Monterey middle schoolB次元官网网址檚 newest piece of playground equipment, a $50,000 climber, when principal Ken Andrews removed the yellow tape on Friday.
On Tuesday, Andrews hosted a ribbon cutting with the community network that made it happen. It included former and current parent advisory council presidents (and members), as well as Kiwanis Club president Delphine Straith, Kiwanis media chair Janet Morningstar, and members of the Oak Bay Firefighters Charitable Foundation (who left to respond to a 911 call).
B次元官网网址淚t was so much fun to see how many kids can crowd onto this [climber] and play,B次元官网网址� Andrews said. B次元官网网址淭his is the latest phase, not the final phase, because we keep thinking of the next thing.B次元官网网址�
The climber looks like a giant spiderweb with stretchy ropes that make climbing enough of a challenge that itB次元官网网址檚 a little more fun than usual.
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ItB次元官网网址檚 the latest phase of the Monterey playground revitalization which started in 2013, when a giant storm felled a tree right onto the old playground unit.
Kimberley Rogers was the PAC leader at the time.
B次元官网网址淭he playground was assessed and it was deemed rotten and non repairable,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e spent two years researching, consulting the neighbourhood, and surveying students, and [ultimately] came up with a vision that helped inform the design.B次元官网网址�
A four-swing set (about $10,000) was installed as well as two outdoor classrooms (one on the other side of the school) built from large logs, a terraced rock wall seating area and path, and a (gaga ball being a kind of gentler dodge ball).
Throughout the process there was a gala fundraiser and for two years Oak Bay Firefighters donated a total of $15,000. Last year Kiwanis Club donated $5,000 from the $10,000 presidentB次元官网网址檚 fund. At the time, the president was current Oak Bay Fire Chief Darren Hughes. He chose to donate the other $5,000 from the presidentB次元官网网址檚 fund to the Mustard Seed to buy a dishwasher at the new Food Rescue ProjectB次元官网网址檚 Esquimalt warehouse and kitchen.
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B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 thank the Oak Bay Firefighters foundation enough, theyB次元官网网址檝e been incredible, and for Kiwanis, giving us the last piece of funding to get the climber in place,B次元官网网址� Rogers said.
B次元官网网址淣ow that itB次元官网网址檚 a middle school it didnB次元官网网址檛 have enough middle school-aged play structures, so itB次元官网网址檚 nice to see that,B次元官网网址� said Jason Hodge, executive director of the firefighters foundation.
The 2019 Sausage Fest is June 22, noon to 9 p.m. at Willows Beach. Coincidentally, most of the $50,000 Kiwanis donated to community causes last year come from the Tea Room on Willows Beach.
B次元官网网址淥ur club is a childrenB次元官网网址檚 club that serves youth all over the world,B次元官网网址� said Kiwanis president Delphine Straith. B次元官网网址淭his is one of many playgrounds weB次元官网网址檝e contributed to in the community.B次元官网网址�
