Moving on up at Eastside School

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Eastside student Tyler Bell checks out a climbing component of the multi-purpose play equipment installed at the school recently due to the efforts of volunteers, community members and the PTO. (Amy Satterwhite photos)

Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on major construction of a desperately needed playground project at Eastside School, where the previous equipment was said to be more than 30 years old.

Since taxpayer funding for school playgrounds is said to be limited, school volunteers physically began transforming the playground last fall, after almost three years of private fundraising. A large wooden structure was removed, leaving behind just a few swings and some individual climbing pieces.

Today, however, the drab metal and worn wood structures of old are a thing of the past. Organized by the school’s parent teacher organization, children now have several new climbing pieces, a couple of refurbished climbers, a new slide, a new tether ball piece and a new multi-use play system at their disposal during recess.

It’s a long way from where they were just weeks ago.

“They were saying there was nothing for them to play on,” said PTO Playground Committee chairperson Kim Cantrell, who also teaches fifth grade at the school. “That was one of the comments I heard. They said they would rather go to the gym and play because there was nothing outside for them to play on.”

While the physical transformation began months ago with the removal of the boardwalk, three years of various fundraising events have been underway to raise the $25,000 necessary to buy new equipment.

While there are still about $10,000 in improvements to be made in order to provide recreation for older students, the current improvements are a site for sore eyes.

“Our kids are so excited. They have stood and watched as different pieces have gone up,” Cantrell said of student’s reactions while work has been underway throughout the week and also Saturdays.

Cantrell said the project has been funded through Eastside’s annual fall festival fundraisers, donations made by the school’s Partners in Education, Oster and Edd Rogers, through several other smaller fundraisers and even county inmate labor.

Additionally, Tennessee Metal Fabricating Corp. of Rock Island donated the use of their facility to build the free-standing equipment, most of which was built by the PTO’s Greg Rowland and Dewayne Wilson, who work at the company.

“It’s long overdue,” PTO Vice President Melinda Wilson said of the equipment. “The old equipment was there when my husband was at Eastside, and he’s 34. It was there was he was in kindergarten. The kids have waited a long time for this.”

To help raise funds needed for the older students’ recreation, including a walking track, a regulation ball court and an asphalt project, the school will be hosting a nursery stock sale this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who wants to participate may contact Lori Rowland at Eastside at 686-2392.

Additionally, organizers are offering a chance for people to give cash donations to Pals of the Playground. For $10, contributors can have their names placed a special plaque. For more information, contact Cantrell at the school.