Kindergarteners to Demonstrate New Playground Equipment
Chico, CA. Chapman Elementary School and the Love Chapmantown Community Coalition will celebrate the opening of a playground dedicated to transitional kindergarten and kindergarten children Monday, November 14, 9:30 am at the playground: 1071 16th St, Chico. The event is the culmination of a two-year campaign raising over $41,000 to purchase swings, slides, a balance beam, mini-basketball hoop, and other equipment sized to fit the youngest students at the school.
“Until now, our kindergarteners were playing on aging, oversized equipment that was installed when the school opened in 1953,” says Laura Manning, one of the teachers who launched the campaign through the Love Chapmantown Community Coalition.
“Laura came to us and said the kids needed their own equipment,” says Stephen Tchudi, who coordinated fundraising for the Coalition. “We took on the assignment and were delighted with the response of individual community members as well as local foundations—we reached our goal and had enough left over for picnic tables and some kid-worthy tricycles.”
The opening ceremony will be led by the children, who will climb, swing, slide, and play, offering the grownups an opportunity to appreciate the new equipment. Adult use of the new equipment will be optional, with children available as instructors. The public is cordially invited.
Speakers at the ceremony will include representatives of Chapman Elementary School, the Love Chapmantown Community Coalition, and Chico Unified School District, which contributed installation of the equipment.
The project was completed with major funding from the Discovery Shoppe Foundation plus individual contributions and and support from Truck-a-Roni, Chico Velo, the Safeway Foundation, Soroptomists of Bidwell Rancho, Chico Rotary, and the Chico Breakfast Lions Club.
For more info please contact Stephen Tchudi, Love Chapman Coalition, 530-781-4676 chapmanews@gmail.com or Mike Allen, Chapman Elementary School Principal, 530-891-3100 mallen@chicousd.org
