The Poughkeepsie City School District is replacing and augmenting the playgrounds at each of its five elementary buildings with the intention of adding safety, accessibility and explorative possibilities for the students.

The districtwide project may be completed as soon as the end of this week. Most of the schools will have completely new play areas, and new equipment has also been installed at schools like Morse Elementary, where some of the existing structures already met modern needs.

The new sites will look distinctly different and more inviting than the outdated facilities they replaced. Gone are the beds of mulch that served as padding for the students but also could be tracked into buildings and encourage insect populations. In their place is a rubber flooring that prevents weeds and mold from forming and has been shown to more effectively prevent injury in the event of a fall or collision. 

“We were looking to upgrade the playgrounds for safety purposes and for accessibility for all of our students,” said Janet Bisti, director of elementary education. “For example, we have some students with sensory concerns. We wanted to make sure we had playgrounds that were supportive of their particular needs. We ensured there’s a wide variety of equipment at all buildings.”

This is evident at the swing sets. At each school there’s a large circular swing with netting, which can either accommodate a student who may be wheelchair-bound, or simply serve as a swing multiple students can ride at once.

Construction at each school began in May and Director of Facilities Marcos Rodriguez said the project is ahead of schedule. 

The components chosen for each school were also deliberate, as officials sought to create playgrounds

that the entire population of elementary ages and abilities could use.

Each school has some similarities – swing sets, slides, balance elements – but their layout and look varies. Krieger and Clinton feature a more industrial appearance with bars on which to climb, while Morse and Warring look more traditional, with climbing walls with footholds. The Early Learning Center includes a mix of styles. Warring and Krieger feature a ropes element in which students can traverse a jungle gym-like expanse by moving from one vertical rope to the next.

“Anyone who comes to our new playgrounds is able to enjoy them,” Bisti said.

Playgrounds are an important part of the educational experience. For most of the day, a young student is told what to learn and how to learn it, with assignments structured by teachers. But on the playground, the students need to find their own way. That leads to learning how to collaborate and coordinate games themselves.

“They really learn how to use teamwork together to solve a problem, to take turns, to talk to one another to solve their problems,” Bisti said. “They come up with games. It’s a creative space for them to both use their physical bodies running around but also their brains: ‘What’s the story that goes along with why we’re climbing up this rope or this slide? Why do we have to escape the tower?’ They come up with these great stories and ideas. It’s a creative outlet for them.”

Patrice Woods, director of teaching and learning, noted also the social and emotional learning benefits of unstructured playtime.

“It’s a time for them to decompress,” she said. “It’s a chance to step away for a bit and reenergize.”

Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, superintendent of schools, said, “Play is an extremely important element in positive youth development, particularly for elementary school students. Who doesn’t have cherished memories of our youth on the playground? These state of the art playgrounds are one of many examples of how PCSD is continuing to address the needs of the whole child.”