All-Day K Requires More Room to Play: PTA Raises Money to Meet School’s Recess Needs

By Ashley Smith, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Nov. 24–All-day kindergarten created a need at Waynedale Elementary — one the PTA and school came together to meet.

When Fort Wayne Community Schools implemented all-day kindergarten this year, the staff at Waynedale, 7201 Elzey St., discovered there was no longer enough playground equipment to suit the school’s needs.

For four years, the school’s PTA has been working to provide Waynedale with more play areas. After getting an-almost $5,000 discount from Sinclair Recreation LLC of Holland, Mich., the PTA acted.

A pre-fabricated, plastic play set arrived at the school Wednesday and was assembled by volunteers today. The play set came in nine separate pieces and was placed on the south side of the school, on land the district excavated for the project.

“The kids are really excited and pumped up about it,” PTA Vice President Christine Mullins said.

“It will be really good for the students at the school,” said Kent Martz, principal of the K-5 school of 400 students.

“Whatever the school needs, we try to step in whenever we can,” Mullins said.

“I’m really excited. It’s something we’ve wanted for a while,” Martz said.

To keep from breaking the PTA’s budget, community members and students pitched in to raise funds for the $9,086.96 acquisition. Students raised $1,365 in one week last month through a penny drive. Donations from Fort Wayne Mold & Engineering, The Stand, Spyro’s Pancake House and attorney Marvin Crell raised $250, and a family night at Pizza Hut raised $122.

A fish fry also is scheduled for Friday.

—–

To see more of The News-Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.FortWayne.com.

Copyright (c) 2007, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Philippines:PCKH,