WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP — Students in Becky Sears' math class thought they had a simple assignment: Design a playground they would want to use for the new VanGorden Elementary School.

        But the sixth-graders soon learned it wasn't so simple as they juggled budgets, worked around the restrictions of the site and chose equipment from seven catalogs.

Scale models were part of the playground design challenge. Travis Shake, a sixth-grader at Hopewell Elementary, creates a tiny swing set. (Becky Sears photo) | ZOOM |

        For five weeks the students surveyed classmates to find out what they wanted, worked with architects and pored over catalogs before putting together four different plans they presented to the Lakota Board of Education this week.

        Each group also made a scale model and researched the district's policies on safety and accessibility for the handicapped.

        “I thought it was mainly going to be one playground with a couple of jungle gyms,” said 12-year-old Andrew Fairbanks. “It turned out to have sports fields, jungle gyms and other things.”

        Students surveyed fourth- through sixth-graders to see what they'd like.

        Tops among the 15 choices were swings/jungle gyms, basketball hoops and football and soccer fields.

        The students had regular contact with architects Mike Dingeldein and Jeff Parker from Steed-Hammond-Paul Inc., who designed the elementary school and helped the students with their presentation.

        “I didn't think many people would like jungle gyms,” said Paige Dickman, 11. “I don't see many people on the flip bars (or other equipment). If they are, they're sitting around talking.”

        Travis Shake found out that surfacing for his playground would cost about half of the $50,000 budget. He also decided against coating on some of the equipment after pricing it.

        “I switched to galvanized steel on the swings because the coating was about $1,000 more,” Travis said. “There wasn't room in the budget.”

        The students' ideas and designs will be considered by the architects in the overall plan for the school.
       

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