The day is finally here! Salt Point Center’s students have been eagerly awaiting their new playground, and it is now officially open.
“We worked through multiple, well-thought-out proposals and ultimately this was the best,” said Mike Skerritt, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations. “This meets the needs of the students and our BOCES.”
One student, Cameron Hartman, played a very special role in designing the new playground. “I said what I wanted and what I wanted for my friends. We needed more swings and climbing.”
Hartman raced to the playground, taking in and trying all of the new equipment and offerings. He was happy to see lots of his suggestions were brought to life! “We needed new colors. I picked purple and blue and green. Kids like colors.”
SPC Principal Melissa Murphy spoke about Hartman's role. “In the planning meetings, Cameron was so excited. He had so many ideas and now he finally gets to see it all come to life,” she said. “He was flipping through the magazines and pointing out a ton of new things we could get. The students are so excited.”
The new poured-in-place rubber flooring creates a vast playground space that is easy for all to navigate. “We needed more space because a lot of people would get squished. Now there's so much space for everyone to play,” shared Hartman.
Occupational therapist Michele Muller could be seen near the assortment of musical instruments, leading a student through a perfect rendition of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” on the different instruments. “They’re working on bilateral coordination,” said Muller. “There’s so much out here that the students can continue working on their goals with!”
“Our goal is to create welcoming learning environments, and this certainly does that. Just seeing the smiles on their faces makes it all worth it,” shared Skerritt. “This is really a shining light for BOCES to be able to create something like this.”
