Devonshire School Primary Yard Renewal Project

The Playground Committee is working hard with students, staff and Devonshire families to renew the primary yard.

Why the yard needs renewal

The impetus for the Primary Yard Renewal Project was the desire to bring the yard’s play structures up to current standards. The two existing structures were installed prior to the introduction of CSA Standards for playground equipment and have never met these standards. Further, one of the structures is made of pressure-treated wood and the associated health concerns have resulted in the City recommending that children be kept away from such structures and replacing them throughout the city. Installation of new equipment would address these problems and judicious design may also lend itself to the possibility of winter use.

The work involved in replacing the play structures also presents an opportunity to more generally improve the yard by adding green space and shade. These improvements could allow such benefits as:

  • Increasing the comfort of students in hot weather by protecting them from the sun and lowering the ambient temperature of the yard
  • Providing for outdoor learning through both connections to the curriculum and actual outdoor classroom spaces
  • Fostering an appreciation of the natural environment among students

Renewal project goals

The primary goal of the Playground Committee’s Primary Yard Renewal Project is to develop an outdoor environment for the students in JK to Grade 2 that is:

  • enjoyable, by providing stimulating areas for active play and quiet areas for passive play year-round; and
  • safe, by ensuring that equipment meets CSA standards, and that the design generally enhances students’ level of comfort in terms of exposure to heat and sun.

The secondary goal is to develop a design that provides opportunities to educate by incorporating constructed and natural elements that have curriculum connections, allowing for children to be involved in caring for some of the green elements of the yard, and integrating outdoor classroom spaces into the design.

How you can help

Transforming a playground is a significant undertaking and many different kinds of support are needed. There are many ways you and your family can get involved to help us with this process. Do you have gardening, carpentry, or grant application writing skills? Or perhaps business or community contacts that may lead to donations or assistance? Do you know anyone that can provide discounted rates for landscaping materials and services? Please contact us!!!

Concept plan

Taking into consideration the responses from student, teacher and parent surveys, knowledge gained at Evergreen Learning Grounds workshops and the constraints of the yard, the Playground Committee has developed a draft concept plan.

The Benefits      The Shortcomings

Tell us what you think!

devonshireplayground@gmail.com