On Saturday, August 11th, Princeton administrators, coaches and family members spent the day at Monument Elementary School, helping to build the school’s first playground.
The group arrived at 7:30 am to an empty parking lot, which represented the childrens’ previous playground area. After splitting up into groups, individual tasks were undertaken, including assembling various playground pieces (slides, fences and a “triple ring fling”) and painting.
After the individual pieces were assembled, the group placed the support beams for the main structure, and attached platforms, stairs, and slides. Pallets of concrete mix were brought back to the job site and readied before being poured in individual holes for each of the support beams.
The playground will allow the school to hold regularly-scheduled recess for the first time. Previously, teachers borrowed play equipment from the school’s gym teacher for the kids to use in the parking lot.
The event was an extension of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, a partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Trenton YMCA, and Isles, Inc. Princeton Athletics’ participation in the event was organized by the Princeton Varsity Club.
