Eagle View Students are in for a Nice Surprise on School Playground

Deanne Trottier, an Eagle View second-grade teacher and playground committee member, spray painted colorful markings on a play space in front of the Breezy Point elementary school Friday. Teachers and parents volunteered their time Thursday and Friday to provide new colorful play areas for students when they go back to school Tuesday.

When students hop off their buses at Eagle View Elementary School Tuesday, they will be pleasantly surprised at what the new school playground has in store for them this fall.

In addition to new play spaces on the school playground, students may take a walk through the corn maze in the school garden.

On Friday, about 15 teachers and parents volunteered their time to create a new addition to their playground.

The bus lane, located adjacent to the playground that is blocked off when not in use, has been transformed into a cheerful and colorful mix of game markings, including numbers, letters and various geometric shapes which separate 15 new play spaces on the pavement for students.

The Peaceful Playgrounds project is an anti-violence and playground organizational program, a low-cost solution to providing more play spaces on a school playground. Pine River-Backus Elementary School completed a similar project last year, and Eagle View playground committee members visited their playground and thought it would be a great addition at their school, too.

Deanne Trottier, an Eagle View second-grader and playground committee member, said the school’s enrollment has grown by more than 100 students in the past five years, creating a need for more play spaces on the playground. Students will occasionally play football in the paved area, but mostly students find ways to keep themselves busy at recess, such as throwing balls into the nearby water retention pond after a heavy rain, she said.

The project, which comes with blueprints and play equipment, including balls, beanbags and ball scoops, cost $4,000 and was paid for by grants received from the Eagle View PTA, Patriot Foundation, Crow Wing Power and Target school funds.

The markings include hopscotch, four-square and other games, have instructions for age-appropriate games for children in preschool up to fifth grade. A colorful number line circles the circular bus drop off and could provide teachers with endless math opportunities for students. An alphabet line also was created and may be used to help young students learning their letters.

Lisa Martini, Eagle View physical education teacher, said she’ll be teaching the games for the new play spaces right away. The fifth-graders will teach the kindergarten students how to play, providing a mentorship opportunity.

Deanne Trottier, an Eagle View second-grade teacher and playground committee member, spray painted colorful markings on a play space in front of the Breezy Point elementary school Friday. Teachers and parents volunteered their time Thursday and Friday to provide new colorful play areas for students when they go back to school Tuesday.

“This is going to be really fun for the kids,” said Martini. “This is going to help so much during recess time.”

Trottier said the Peaceful Playgrounds project also is an opportunity for students to learn how to cooperate and resolve conflicts. Trottier’s husband, Pat, a land surveyor for Landecker and Associates, helped lay out the game design.

Playground committee members marked off the spaces Thursday while the rest of the volunteers finished the project Friday morning. Volunteers also took care of the children of those who helped out Friday in the school gym so several parents could participate.

“We’re really excited because we wanted it fresh and ready to go when school starts,” said Trottier. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to see the kids’ faces when they come out here the first day.”

“I’m excited to see what they’ll do with all of it,” said Kyra Blaukat, 10, who watched the volunteers stenciling the designs on the pavement. “It looks like a lot of fun.”

Trottier said they have a blueprint to create a large map of the United States but they weren’t able to finish that before school starts Tuesday.

Also new this school year is a 125-foot by 125-foot corn maze in the school garden created by retired Eagle View teacher Jim Minerich and his wife, Sara, with funds from the Pelican Lake Conservation Club. The Mineriches planted the corn in June, which has grown well over 10 feet tall.

“For a little patch, it sure seems big,” said Minerich.

The maze is free and open to everyone for the next few weeks. There are various educational signs throughout the maze that teach students about corn. Minerich asked that parents make sure their children stay on the designated paths.

The stalks will be cut down and sold as decorations at the school’s fall pumpkin sale Sept. 22, said Minerich. While the school typically has grown pumpkins in this location, Minerich said he thought it would be fun to create a corn maze and found a blueprint on the Internet. The school will still harvest about 180 pumpkins this fall.

Brainerd Dispatch – Eagle View Students are in for a Nice Surprise