When suspected arsons set Shore Acres Elementary's playground ablaze in February, students, staff and the community felt burned by the loss.
While no arrests have been made, local efforts and a lot of help from the school district has put the school's community on the fast-track to healing. Four months after the fire, Shore Acres is set to get a new playground in time for the first day of the 2005-06 school year.
The school board of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, which Shore Acres is a part of, allocated the entire $125,000 needed to replace the playground shortly after the blaze. The district will use state construction funding to pay for the playground.
When word spread of the playground's demise, community contributions poured in and fund-raisers were held, much in the same way Shore Acres got its last playground.
"People from cities all around the area somehow heard it on the news and sent in donations with very thoughtful notes. That made teachers and students feel good in that we were not alone in this," said Sandra Rogers-Hare, Shore Acres principal. "A substitute teacher who worked here donated her salary for the days that she worked because she said she was really struck by the kind of school we were."
Shore Acres has pulled in about $3,000 in contributions and a "Lap-A-Thon" fund-raiser held by the Bay Point Chamber of Commerce is expected to add to its overall collection of roughly $5,000. That extra money will allow the district to offset its allocation.
"All of our elementary schools have the playground structures and we wanted to be sure that Shore Acres and all the children there have access to it as soon as possible," said April Treece, school board member for the Mt. Diablo district. "I think it's important for our children to have access to a full variety of educational experiences and being able to play and exercise and anything that promotes motor skills development and just fun during the school day is critical."
The destroyed playground has been cleared off school grounds. Students spend recesses on remaining swings or playing tetherball. Some use the grassy field for soccer while others try their hands at other activities provided by painted blacktop options.
"Actually it's been one upside in that they've seen how responsible the adult community behaves. I think it's helped them learn how to handle problems," Rogers-Hare said. "You just can't be complacent, you have to be a part of the solution. The kids were devastated at first...I don't think they'll be completely over it until they have a better playground."
Danielle Samaniego covers education for Antioch and Pittsburg schools. Reach her at 925-779-7116 or dsamaniegocctimes.com
Anyone interested in donating money for a new play structure at Shore Acres Elementary can contact the school at 925-458-3261 or send checks to the campus, 351 Marina Road, Bay Point.
Distributed by the Associated Press
