Principal Robbin Cooper enjoyed watching children have fun during recess at Midway Elementary School. Thanks to the generosity of community members, the students enjoyed new playground equipment.
Before it was installed, playground equipment was a big need at the school. It was made possible through fundraising efforts of the Parent Teacher Organization. Some of the pieces include monkey bars, slides and other climbing parts. Mulch was recently laid down and students began to enjoy it on Monday.
“This is all because of parents supporting our fundraising efforts, in the past and in the present,” Cooper said. “I greatly appreciate that as the principal of this school.”
Fundraising efforts took place during a period of a few years. The total cost for the equipment designed for students in kindergarten though fifth grade was more than $23,000. For such projects, Cooper expressed the importance of parents getting involved.
“We’ve got to be a team to make sure our school is successful,” Cooper said. “It’s very important to have them to have relationships with our students and staff.”
But the progress will not stop there. The school wants to improve the outdoor learning classroom for the school too.
“We want to make sure the kids have somewhere they can learn curriculum and for it to be hands on,” Cooper said. “It’s a big vision and we have a lot of community support, so we think it can happen.”
That may be accomplished through grant funding and addition support from others in the area.
“We can’t do this by ourselves because this is a big project that we want to get done,” Cooper said.
More details will be provided in the future, but the overall idea is for children to experience and learn about nature.
“Kids need to be in touch with their environment,” Cooper said. “Some kids like to be outside. We have to pull on that strength, just like we do when we’re inside the classroom.”
A projected date for the classroom project has not been set yet.
“I’m just excited about the remainder of this year and I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen in the future,” Cooper said.
For more information about fundraising efforts, contact Midway Elementary officials at 910-567-2244.
