Dreaming of a new playground at Dover South School

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • June 25, 2012
  • 373
                        
Summary: The playground at Dover South School is beginning to show its age. A group of staff members and parents have formed a committee to make a new playground a reality. Playgrounds are meant for fun and when wear and tear becomes an issue sometimes the equipment can actually be a safety hazard. Such is the case for some of the equipment at Dover’s South School. A committee that includes staff and parents of students from the school has been formed to accomplish what they are calling, Dover South’s Dream. The project will include replacement of the current playground equipment and add an additional fenced are for use by pre-school and kindergarten students. The entire playground will be handicap accessible and be open to all. “The newest part of the current playground dates back to 1994 and was constructed as a handicap accessible playground that was funded by the Reeves Foundation and constructed by the parent teacher group and staff members at the school at that time,” said Debbie Dummermuth, special education paraprofessional at Dover South School. “Other parts of the playground are older than that. Several pieces of the equipment show signs of wear. Slides are starting to crack. Some of the poles are loose, paint is badly needed and pieces of metal are exposed. Some of the equipment is becoming a safety hazard.” The committee believes a new playground would benefit all students including the special needs students that attend the school. “This would benefit our students at South where we have students with special needs as well as children in the community,” said Dummermuth. “South's playground gets a lot of use from children who live in the area. This would also benefit the large number of pre-school students at South. The playground would be constructed at the rear of the school and also at the side of the building.” The project is unique in that input from various members of the community will be sought. “We hope to have input from some of South's former students, as well as other students at Dover Middle School. Middle School teacher, Jason Board will be using this as a teaching moment since his class will be working on designing a playground for Project Lead the Way. We are excited that the class will be able to assist in a real life project and look forward to their input,” said Dummermuth. A part of the playground will be dedicated to the memory of Rick Staley, a long time teacher and coach in the Dover School District. “His wife, Carol works at Dover South as a paraprofessional in the pre-school. The committee is planning to have a paved walking path on the playground area that could be used by the community as well as the students. This would be a fitting memorial to Rick as he spent many years as the track coach,” said Dummermuth. A total cost for the project is yet to be determined and is a priority for the committee. “That is one of the first things on our agenda - to determine the cost and come up with a drawing and plan for the area,” said Dummermuth. Fundraising has already begun for the project that will carry a hefty price tag. An All-You-Can-Eat fish dinner is scheduled July 6 at Auman Timbers Golf Course at 4120 St. Rt. 516 at Dover. The dinner includes fish, baked potato, various side dishes, dessert and beverage. Dinners will be served from 4-7 p.m. Free will donations will be accepted and used to benefit Dover South’s Dream Playground Project. For more information about the project call Debbie Dummermuth at 330-343-8220.


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