Dear Braelinn families,
The PTO is excited to share with you that we are working on an outdoor adapted playground for our students with special needs. This Special Sneak Peek will be the first of two communications to parents to inform you about Braelinn’s special needs program and the specific need for an adapted playground. The second communication will be a “A Day in the Life.” This piece will cover a typical day with a Braelinn family that has a student in one of these classes.
About the Special Needs Program
In Fayette County, all elementary schools serve students with disabilities, but some schools have special programs. Since 1998, Braelinn Elementary has had three types of educational programs: General Curriculum, Adaptive Curriculum, and Triad Adaptive Curriculum. We hope to always have these programs at Braelinn, and while unlikely, there is always a chance that one program could shift to another school. There are approximately two dozen children with various degrees of developmental, behavioral, physical or intellectual disabilities that participate in the Adaptive and Adaptive Triad Curriculum programs at Braelinn. Some of these disabilities that these children have are quite significant.
Adaptive Curriculum programs are designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who require specialized instruction in order to succeed. Our Triad Adaptive Curriculum programs are designed for students with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and typically Autism, who also have severe behaviors. The students in our Triad programs require a smaller staff to student ratio and more structured programming than other students.
Playground Needs
The main playground, while perfect for our General Curriculum students, is not the best fit for many of our children with special needs. If you have spent time during the day at school, you may have seen these children being wheeled around in the halls or on the sidewalk, in their wagons. Some students have physical disabilities that require adaptive equipment for mobility. Many of our students have significant sensory issues, and are easily over stimulated. They may dart or run away for no apparent reason or put inedible objects in their mouths and ingest them.
The Proposed Adapted Playground
The area that is chosen for the playground is directly outside of the kindergarten wing doors and to the right. The playground that has been designed with the special needs teachers contains a flat, rubberized surface and is fully fenced in. It will include a swing set with an adapted swing and a shed to store tricycles and other equipment. A smaller play area with a poured rubber open surface with equipment that is easier to navigate will allow all of our students an opportunity to play outside safely on a playground that meets their needs and provides opportunity to work on gross motor skills. Please see attached rendering.
The playground committee unanimously decided to dedicate the playground in honor of our Principal, Wenonah Bell, who is retiring this year, after two plus decades at Braelinn. Mrs. Bell’s background is special education so this playground will help to honor Mrs. Bell who has been a champion for special needs in our community for a very long time.
What is the Cost?
The cost of this playground is approximately $30,000-$32,000. To date, $13,074.00 has been set aside or contributed towards this project in the following ways:
*$6,500 in parent donations
*$5,000 PTO Contribution
*$1,454.00 Brick fundraiser
*$120.00 from a Girl Scout Troop donation
In addition, we are expecting $1,000 from a Kindness Kids donation. The fifth-grade class has decided to sponsor the swing set ($900 of the total cost) for the playground as their class gift back to the school upon graduation. We have applied for and have been verbally awarded a community grant, in the range of $500-$2,500, from Sam’s Club and are working with local businesses for donations. Additionally, we are reaching out to Fayette County Board of Education to help with expenses. They are aware of this project and funding is under consideration.
There are other associated costs with preparing the area for the playground. It is bordered on two sides by the school and a third side by a fence line that holds in the main playground. The area will need to be graded and trees and bushes removed. All South Lawnscapes, a Braelinn family and school sponsor, has offered to donate all of these services as well as provide new sod when the project is complete. We are working on getting the additional fencing to fully enclose this space and a small storage shed donated.
What’s next?
We are so excited to get the playground that these students need. How can you help?
You can support the adapted playground by making a direct donation to the Braelinn PTO adapted playground fund or by supporting and attending the Spring Fling. Net proceeds after expenses will be contributed to the adapted playground.
Please watch for our next Special Sneak Peek- “A Day in the Life with Jennifer Conforti and her daughter, Abby.”