ST. GEORGE — Little Valley Elementary School hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil their brand new inclusive playground on Thursday morning — something they hope becomes the standard for all schools in the future.
Paul Orchard, the school’s principal, kicked off the event by introducing the exciting new project. Following his remarks, a video was shown highlighting the journey of the inclusive playground and showcasing its many benefits.
Before the ribbon was cut, all donors were recognized and a permanent donor wall was unveiled. The event continued with children exploring the new playground equipment. Students with disabilities who are a part of the school’s Life Skills Class had the special honor of being the first to enjoy the new play area.
“What’s really thought out is the pieces we’ve included,” said Amy Allen, a parent of a student at Little Valley Elementary who spearheaded the idea and fundraising efforts of the playground. “But nothing ever would’ve happened if it wasn’t for our donors and our principal.”
The newly unveiled inclusive playground features ample shading, $40,000 worth of fall protection tiles and a wheelchair-accessible ramp that leads to a spacious deck, seamlessly connecting to the school’s original traditional playground. The goal is to ensure the two playgrounds were connected to allow all children to play together instead of creating a separation.
The deck is equipped with sensory and imagination panels, as well as music panels to engage students in creative play. Additionally, a communication board is provided for non-verbal students, featuring a range of symbols that allow them to express needs and preferences, such as being hot or wanting to swing. Adjacent to the deck is a wheelchair-accessible glider that swings back and forth, providing an inclusive play experience for all children, much like one featured at the Thunder Junction All Abilities Park.
Next, the playground has a ‘We-saw,’ a rocker that moves up and down and accommodates multiple children in the center, allowing those who can’t sit on the rocking chair to join in the fun. Additionally, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round with benches ensures truly inclusive play, while two spinning chairs add to the excitement.
Allen noted that 60% of the students with disabilities at the school are diagnosed with autism, among other conditions. For these students, spinning and rocking serve as important sensory regulation tools, which is why many of the playground features are designed with this in mind.
The playground is designed not only for recess but also to support occupational and physical therapy sessions, offering versatile opportunities for therapeutic activities.
How it all came together
When St. George News last spoke with Allen, she was leading the campaign to build an inclusive playground at the school. At that time, they were vying for a grand prize of $100,000 in the ‘Best School Day Ever’ contest, a collaboration between The Children’s Place and The Jonas Brothers, and had successfully reached the Top 10.
Allen said that although they didn’t win the contest, the exposure provided a significant boost to their fundraising efforts. Ultimately, they needed to raise over $200,000 for the playground. At the start of the school year, they organized a student art show where students created and sold original artwork, along with items like stuffed animals, keychains and t-shirts. They also held an online auction featuring donated products and services from local companies.
“We were completely overwhelmed by the support of the parents, the students and teachers,” said Cindy Hatch, a member of the playground committee who is also a parent at the school. “And I’m sorry if I just bawl about this. It just blows my mind that we’re here a year later, and it’s complete.”
Each year, Desert Hills High School hosts “Gold Rush,” an initiative where they select an individual or family to support through fundraising activities in December. This year, the school chose the inclusive playground project at Little Valley Elementary. Through their efforts, Desert Hills High School raised and donated a total of $10,000.
Allen diligently applied for numerous grants and successfully secured two major grants from private foundations dedicated to supporting children with disabilities in educational settings.
“If I could tell you all the miracles that have happened from this and how things fell into play, it’s just amazing,” Allen said.
Hatch described the most astonishing moment as occurring in early December, which she refers to as a “Christmas Miracle.” During this time, as people began sharing the story of the inclusive playground with colleagues and family, donations poured in unexpectedly and in a surreal manner.
Private donations came from around 45 companies and individuals, ranging from $50 to $20,000. Additionally, they received in-kind contributions from businesses, including excavation work and concrete essential for the project. Rainbow Sign and Banner donated all the banners celebrating the donations along with the donor wall.
“We were completely blown away,” Hatch said with tears in her eyes. “We just feel so, so blessed that this could happen, and that these kids are so important and that people realized that everybody deserves a chance to play. We feel very blessed and fortunate.”
Allen reflected that during her early school years, there were few students with disabilities in her classes. At the time, students with disabilities often faced barriers to accessing free education. It wasn’t until 1975, with the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, that students with disabilities were guaranteed a Free Appropriate Public Education.
The act includes the Least Restrictive Environment provision, which mandates that children with disabilities receive education alongside their peers without disabilities to the greatest extent possible. Initially focused on regular classrooms, the act was expanded in 2006 to include other school settings, such as lunchrooms and playgrounds.
“There isn’t necessarily a full law in place right now, but it will catch up in the law where every school will be required to have inclusive playgrounds at some point,” Allen said.
While on the playground one day, Allen noticed a class of students and, intrigued, discovered through her research that the school has a significant percentage of students with special needs.
In the Washington County School District, Allen noted that every school includes students with disabilities. Schools like Little Valley Elementary are designated as Life Skills schools, catering to students with mild to moderate disabilities. As a result, these schools typically have a higher concentration of students with disabilities.
“We have a whole classroom full of children with more moderate to severe special needs,” Allen said. “I was not really aware of all of that, and I have learned so much this last year.”
Allen, a parent of a child with a speech disorder, has extensively researched her rights and faced the challenging task of securing appropriate education and speech therapy for her child’s rare condition.
“I’m going to do all that I need to as a mother to get what he needs,” Allen said, choking back tears. “And I’m going to appreciate what the school district does. But I am also going to work with them to improve as much as I possibly can. And that’s the goal with this playground.”
Instead of battling the school district over funding limitations, she redirected her efforts toward raising the necessary funds to make the playground a reality.
“Our school is a model for what should be a standard in the future,” Allen said. “It has been a really hard journey and I am so passionate about this. This is what we can do. Number one, we can do this for our school and we can do this for our kids. But also, it’s much greater than just our school. Because every school has a child with special needs and every child should have access to a playground at school.”
Both Allen and Hatch acknowledged that while they have been the primary voices in the media, many remarkable women played crucial roles in making the project a success. They highlighted the efforts of a dedicated committee of five, along with a teacher and the principal, who were instrumental in bringing the project to life.
Photo Gallery
Kids try out the new all-inclusive playground equipment at Little Valley Elementary School in St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Kids try out the new all-inclusive playground equipment at Little Valley Elementary School in St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Kids try out the new all-inclusive playground equipment at Little Valley Elementary School in St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
A donor wall gives thanks to the many people and companies who made the Little Valley Elementary School all-inclusive playground possible, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Little Valley Elementary Principal Mr. Orchard speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Students, parents and donors celebrate the official opening of Little Valley Elementary's new all-inclusive playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.