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Seven-year funder comes to fruition at Mother T
Meet me at the playground. That was the theme of a seven-year fundraising campaign that recently came to fruition at Mother Teresa Early Childhood Education Centre in the form of a new playground.
It’s a real piece of learning for them to see how something happens in real-time.
Through the school’s east-facing windows, students watched crews assemble their new play structure last Thursday and Friday, which comes equipped with slides, climbing structures, and six swings, something Paula Scott, board chair of the Lloydminster Catholic School Division (LCSD), says students are stoked for.
“This is a great day. This has been about seven years of fundraising, so a lot of the kids that started this fundraiser aren’t here anymore, but they’ll still be able to come by and see it,” said Scott last Thursday afternoon.
“The kids and their families have been so supportive of Mother Teresa and getting this project going. Work started yesterday and they’re hoping to be done by Friday, which is fantastic, and then the kids will have a brand new playground, with six swings, which is apparently awesome; the Grade 1’s are very excited about that.”
For LCSD director of education, Nigel McCarthy, the day symbolized the division being there for the kids as well as the virtue of partnerships.
“(We’re) way ahead of schedule and we have people here today from Cenovus, the City of Lloydminster, and they’ve been here all week on a volunteer basis helping us out,” explained McCarthy.
“We have our Lloyd Catholic staff, and our trustees are here this afternoon turning wrenches and making this playground come to life ahead of schedule for our kids; it’s amazing.”
McCarthy also noted the roughly $100K installment was made possible by the LCSD, Play and Learn Daycare, the Government of Saskatchewan and inschool fundraising.
“Colleen Young and her team, who’s always supportive of development in our city; that’s been a great benefit to us,” he said, noting the kids can’t wait to test drive the new structure.
“This fence behind you,” said McCarthy pointing to the barricade separating the school yard from the work site, “every time there’s a recess or lunch break, you can see the kids come to the fence and watching and looking.
“For them, this is some kind of magical Lego set that’s being built, and the Bobcats are big Tonka toys, and it’s a real piece of learning for them to see how something happens in real-time.”
TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR
