METAMORA, Ill. (WMBD) — Metamora grade school kicked off their “inclusion week” by showing off phase one of their playground renovations.
The playground had not been updated since 2008 and many of the parts are in disrepair. Tim Damery, the school’s principal, said that the updates are needed.
“We’ve had some issues with the playground with holes and different things which are starting to break, and our vision for the future of the playground was to make it more inclusive to all students, especially those that have special needs, that either need walkers or wheelchairs,” Damery said.
Phase one focused mainly on inclusivity for special needs students. A whirl machine was installed, which makes the playground accessible for wheelchair-bound students.
Damery says he hopes this can bring students closer together.
“I think what it does is allow for all our students to feel included, and be able to play together and be together, I think sometimes students feel separated because of the fact they can’t get together and play, so our idea is to get that inclusion and understand where everybody’s at,” Damery said.
The school has received funding through a variety of ways, but more is needed in order to complete the project. Phases two and three hope to bring more playground renovations along with outdoor classrooms.
