Breidablik kids get equipped for new year

Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, September 6, 2006

POULSBO — Abandoning the play-filled days of summer and heading back into the classroom should be a little bit easier for Breidablik Elementary School students this year.

A $40,000 project wrapped up over the summer as 28 members of the crew of the USS Louisiana helped Breidablik parents and community set up a shining new set of playground equipment next to the school’s sports fields.

“This playground is probably 10 years coming, that’s probably the coolest thing is that it’s finally done,” said Carmen Gayle, school PTSA president from 2003-2005, who paved the way for construction.

Gayle and the rest of the Breidablik PTSA raised the funds for the costs of the project over the course of two years through school auctions and fund raisers and also through the organization’s annual tax returns. Dedicated funding enabled the group to not lose sight of the educational needs of the school as it focused on the necessary equipment for playtime.

While also purchasing new microscopes, document cameras and doling out dollars for school field trips and special projects, the PTSA kept a special account for the playground equipment that Breidablik students needed.

“They hadn’t had any good playground equipment before, it was only four pieces of equipment that could probably engage only 10 kids,” Gayle said. “This can engage around 35 kids at a time — it’s not just one toy and one line, there’s a variety.”

At a time when childhood and nationwide obesity are reaching record numbers, the need for outdoor physical activity is at an all-time high. And at Breidablik, Principal Dr. Lynn Rasmussen knows that recess is more than a mere break from the classroom.

“They learn through play. Recess isn’t just all about a break, they are learning about themselves and their bodies and their peers,” Rasmussen said. “And we know that cross lateral movement — which is what they are doing out there — improves brain development. So there are a lot of educational benefits for us, we are so excited.”

After two years of fund raising and zoning decisions to determine where to locate the new equipment, a Breidablik community-based team effort started making headway. In addition to the volunteer time from the USS Louisiana sailors, local business including Fred Hill Materials, Bankrock, Brundage Bone Concrete Pumping, Wild Horse BBQ, Central Market, James Lumber, Advanced Rentals and The Impressions Group lent a hand.

“Every little bit helped,” Gayle said. “This is a $40,000 project and it’s great, but where efforts are better spent is dealing with (school funding) on a government level. We, as parents, can solve a $40,000 problem, but we can’t solve $1 million problems.”