Playground equipment debuts at middle school
Playground equipment debuts at middle school
BY MEGAN PETERSEN
REPORTER
Recess will be extended just a little longer for next year’s sixth grade students at New Town Middle School.
Playground equipment was installed alongside the middle school last week. Middle school principal John Gartner said students will have the opportunity to use the equipment before and after school, and during extra time between finishing lunch and the start of afternoon classes.
Superintendent Marc Bluestone said the board decided to build the equipment after recommendations from the middle school. The idea initially started with the students and teachers, and soon Gartner came to Bluestone with a request.
Bluestone said Gartner, who will be the high school principal next year, was the one who did most of the work setting up the project, and that the middle school’s student council helped choose from several different models which would be constructed outside their school.
Though many may wonder why middle school students need recess, Bluestone feels it’s a good idea.
“A lot of elementary schools are kindergarten through sixth grade,” he pointed out. “11-year-olds … aren’t developmentally ready to throw out all their toys all at once.”
