May 15, 2002

Work bee updates playground

Courtade parents, school staff help assemble structure

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       After two years of planning and fundraising, the new structure on Courtade Elementary School's playground will be swarming with children this week.
      Assembled Saturday by a group of volunteers, the multi-level, multi-slide plastic structure replaces an outdated wooden one that dated from the school's opening 11 years ago.
      "We are one of the last elementary schools in the area to get one of these," said Bruce Forrester, a volunteer builder on Saturday who has two children at Courtade. "I think the kids will really enjoy it."
      The playground project became a reality this spring thanks to a $10,000 grant from Rotary Charities last December. In addition, more than $8,000 raised at last year's school carnival was earmarked for it.
      For members of the school community, the modern structure was another welcome enhancement to the school's grounds.
      "We took out an existing structure that had some safety issues," said Lisa Schiller, a parent of two Courtade students who is also treasurer of the school's PTO and chair of the playground committee. "Last year we planted 35 trees around the grounds."
      The playground project lured dozens of volunteers who came throughout the day Saturday to wield shovels, drills, levels, wrenches and rakes. Nick Farran of Traverse Parks and Recreation Equipment, Co., whose company specializes in recreation equipment design, planning and installation, guided the volunteers in the installation.
      Schiller said the playground project had a great turnout even though the school's annual carnival, staffed by parent volunteers, was held just two weeks before. Future parents of Courtade students as well as a former student, now at Traverse City East Junior High, also came to help.
      As volunteers dug and leveled the final postholes before pouring the cement foundations, Courtade Elementary School principal Jamie McCall reflected on the turnout.
      "Look at who is here: teachers, support staff, staff from the district and parents," said McCall, who joined the school a year ago. "It shows that education is a community affair and the people of this community care."