Lebanon Community School Corporation (LCSC) is thrilled to announce the finalization of plans for four new elementary school playgrounds that promise to redefine the play experience for our students.
In finalizing the playground designs, we adhered to five foundational principles:
- Zones for Varied Play and Energy Levels: The playgrounds incorporate distinct zones tailored to different energy levels and noise preferences. This enables children to find spaces that resonate with their mood and style of play, allowing for a more engaging experience.
- Diverse Types of Play: Children employ different types of play to understand their world. These playgrounds present opportunities for cognitive, social, and physical skill development through carefully curated play structures, swings, climbers, slides, and interactive installations.
- Fostering Student Interaction: By maximizing participation and interaction among students, the playgrounds provide connection. Students can engage in both solitary and collaborative play, promoting social growth and friendships.
- Inclusivity and Accessibility: The playgrounds prioritize accessibility, allowing all students to engage fully regardless of ability. ADA compliance is integrated into the design, ensuring equitable access for everyone.
- Encouraging Creativity and Appropriate Risk-Taking: Recognizing the value of creativity and calculated risk-taking in childhood development, the playgrounds provide spaces that empower students to explore their creativity and face challenges in a controlled, safe environment.
Our exciting new playgrounds will have three different zones of play:
- Hard Surface Zone: Designed for large group activities and sports, this zone offers basketball courts and other interactive spaces, accessible to all students.
- Soft Surface Zone: Tailored for inclusive play, this area includes swings, play structures, climbers, and slides. The design balances firmness for ADA compliance with softness to cushion impacts, allowing children to explore safely.
- Open Field Zone: Dependent on the property layout, this space encourages connection with nature and supports large group activities.
These innovative playgrounds are part of LCSC's commitment to creating a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for all students. The installation of playgrounds is anticipated to commence in Spring 2024 at Harney Elementary, Perry-Worth Elementary, and Hattie B. Stokes Elementary, with Central Elementary scheduled to begin its playground installation in Spring 2025.
All elementary improvement projects are expected to be completed by August 2025.
