School Yard Visioning Session
On the evening of April 30th, 2013 the Greening & Grounds Committee hosted a school yard visioning session. To our surprise and delight, more than 40 people attended to discuss the development of the school yard at King George Public School. Principal Reena Anand, Vice-Principal Chad Guyitt, Dennis Wendlend a school grounds design consultant from Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds and several teachers attended in addition to many interested parents. Jennifer Duggan coordinated and facilitated the session.
Attendees divided into three groups where they brainstormed around the question: What do you want your children to DO at recess and lunch hour?
Having determined the desired activities, they then worked to identify and rank the functional spaces the school yard would need to support those activities.
The general consensus of these discussions was that there is a desire for a combination of natural playscapes, sports fields and some traditional playground structures with a mind to providing versatile, multiple-use facilities, areas for quiet as well as active play, and plenty of shade.
Students at the school had previously been asked to provide input into what they desired in their play areas in the form of diagrams, maps, drawings and models which were displayed at the meeting. Suggestions ranged from the more conventional slides, swings and soccer fields to the more fanciful Ferris wheel, tree house and bear cave.
The session was very successful in achieving its goals of raising enthusiasm, excitement and commitment for the school yard design process as well as making some high-level decisions about the direction future planning will take. The next step is to create a draft plan of the school yard with all the desired elements to provide a basis for more detailed discussion and decision-making.
Here's a slideshow from the evening.
Attendees divided into three groups where they brainstormed around the question: What do you want your children to DO at recess and lunch hour?
Having determined the desired activities, they then worked to identify and rank the functional spaces the school yard would need to support those activities.
Students at the school had previously been asked to provide input into what they desired in their play areas in the form of diagrams, maps, drawings and models which were displayed at the meeting. Suggestions ranged from the more conventional slides, swings and soccer fields to the more fanciful Ferris wheel, tree house and bear cave.
The session was very successful in achieving its goals of raising enthusiasm, excitement and commitment for the school yard design process as well as making some high-level decisions about the direction future planning will take. The next step is to create a draft plan of the school yard with all the desired elements to provide a basis for more detailed discussion and decision-making.
Here's a slideshow from the evening.
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