Parents make playground possible

shaftplay032: Parents make playground possibleSeptember 4 was a joyous day for the 48 children who attend Shafter State Preschool in Shafter— their new playground structure was unveiled. The preschool opened five years ago, without the kind of playground structure that could provide fun recreation and motor skills training. Determined parents got behind teacher Linda Hollingsworth’s appeal for help and in five years raised more than $8,000 to help make the new structure a reality.

“Oh, did the community get behind our effort,” said former Parent Club President Angela Sanchez. “We sold candy bars, pizzas, pretzels and cheesecakes, but what really put us over the top at the end was an opportunity drawing that raised more than $2,300. Businesses and private citizens in Shafter, as well as Bakersfield and Buttonwillow, contributed really great merchandise that took almost two hours to award to ticket holders.”

The parents needed the $8,000 to qualify for another $8,000 matching grant from First 5 Kern funded by Proposition 10. First 5 Kern Commissioner Diane Koditek was present at the September 4 ribbon cutting and awarded a plaque to Hollingsworth commemorating the event.

The structure is free standing and includes double-wide slides, climbing apparatus, tunnel, stairs and large motor skills training features. The funds also paid for the excavation of the playground area, pouring of cement and the installation of child-safe, engineered wood fiber ground cover.

Representing Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider was Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services John Lindsay.

“You parents made this possible,” Lindsay said. “I encourage you to provide the same support you demonstrated in getting this structure built to your children’s educational careers because that will be just as important.”

Isiah Sanchez, Angela’s son, had the honor of cutting the ribbon that officially opened the structure for play. Ironically, Isiah is in kindergarten now and no longer attends Shafter State Preschool, but because of the work Isiah and his mother did in raising funds he has a standing invitation to come back to play. And play he did along with the other children in a scene of energized activity featuring tunnel crawling, stair climbing, bar acrobatics and pairs sliding, all going on at the same time.

“It was cute when the children first looked out and saw the new structure,” Hollingsworth said. “They wanted to know if they could go out and play in the park. Before this, we simply did not have a piece of equipment on which they could develop large motor skills such as climbing and sliding. All they had was a plastic playhouse that had seen better days.”

Angela Sanchez may not have any children enrolled at the preschool, but she still gets to see what she helped make a reality. She is a substitute teacher’s aide, and her work assignments frequently bring Sanchez to Shafter State Preschool.

“This is a great day for the preschool program,” Sanchez said. “Children need a place to play and interact together, and they have found it right here in Shafter.”

Shafter State Preschool is operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ Child Development Services.
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