With the flick of the pen Royal Oak becomes the latest school to purchase a playground based solely on private fundraising.
Mike Geric Construction stepped forward with a $50,000 cheque to complete Royal Oak Middle SchoolB次元官网网址檚 three-year fundraising campaign. The total cost is $74,000, which includes the cost of the equipment and the installation, with $24,000 of that coming from three yearB次元官网网址檚 of fundraising for Royal Oak school (and much of that from itB次元官网网址檚 from Halloween Family fun event).
Ed Geric, who heads Mike Geric Construction, made the donation as a community amenity in a neighbourhood that his company has shaped over the past few decades. GericB次元官网网址檚 latest development, the multi-building Travino Living condos, sit on the former Royal Oak school property immediately next to the current school, divided only by the new Greenlea-West Saanich Road connector (path), also built by Geric.
The playground will complement the sole climbing structure there now, between the school and the Travino.
B次元官网网址淲e saw this as an opportunity to give back after tremendous support from the school during the last few years of construction,B次元官网网址� Geric said. B次元官网网址淲e encroached onto their property during the building process. And itB次元官网网址檚 not just for the school, [the Travino] has many older adults with grand kids, and itB次元官网网址檚 also for all of Royal Oak.B次元官网网址�
For Grade 8 student Ava Rodier, the playground is a long time coming.
B次元官网网址淭his is really needed, for my time here in Grade 6, Grade 7, and now, weB次元官网网址檝e had just one [small] playground for 600 kids.B次元官网网址�
Ruby Sanders, also in Grade 8, agreed, saying itB次元官网网址檚 been boring at times not to have a playground.
B次元官网网址淗aving a playground is a great way for new students to meet and make friends, it gives kids a place to go.B次元官网网址�
The new playground design is nearly complete. It is centred on a circuit theme, so that not only will it entertain children outside of class time, but so that teachers can also use it during physical education and as a brain breather, said principal Carly Hunter.
B次元官网网址淭he goal is to create a complete circuit in the playground so that a class can use it to break up the [dayB次元官网网址檚 routine],B次元官网网址� Hunter said. B次元官网网址淲ith 650 students, we have been without a [proper] playground for so long, and this will be a middle school playground, not designed for elementary aged youth.B次元官网网址�
Vice Principal Ken Bergeron said the construction to install the playground will begin within a few months.
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