BOWLING GREEN, Ohio —
Recess, lunch and P.E. are the students' favorite parts of the school day, according to Conneaut Elementary School Principal Alyssa Karaffa.
Karaffa said when she was outside and watching recess, she noticed not all the kids were engaging with their peers, some because they couldn't.
"Maybe they're in a wheelchair or a walker," Karaffa said. "The goal of recess in my opinion, or at least one of the goals, is to socialize."
She said recess is the time of day when kids are able to learn to work and play together. One of her goals was to have students playing side by side, no matter what their needs are.
The school serves around 430 kids in kindergarten through fifth grade and over 100 preschool kids, Karaffa said. She wanted to create a space where all of them would be able to interact.
Karaffa said it started with doing research on what equipment would meet all the children's sensory needs.
The next step was to write grants and begin raising money for the equipment. She said the school received a lot of the money from the community, Conneaut Elementary School's PTO, Wood County Plays, and NW Ohio Apraxia.
Karaffa said they were able to raise around $24,000, which will buy five new pieces of equipment and an accessibility path.
"Our schools use mulch, and so if you're in a wheelchair that makes it pretty challenging," Karaffa said. "I wanted to make sure we had enough funds to put those paths in as well."
The groundbreaking for the equipment will start in a few weeks. Over the summer, the playground will be getting a glider that has straps and a "Cozy Cocoon." There will also be a drum set, bell panel and accessible swing that will be added.
"I'm excited to see all the students smiling and engaging and being social together," Karaffa said.
The playground can be accessed by community members outside of school hours, and should be open during construction, Karaffa said.
Karaffa said the playground will be finished before the start of the school year in the fall.