Ossining School Officials, Students Thank Harckham for Playground

Over a hundred fifth grade students, joined by Dr. Ray Sanchez, superintendent of the Ossining Union Free School District, and Michelle Grier, principal of the Roosevelt Elementary School, showed their gratitude to State Senator Pete Harckham at a special ceremony for his work in securing a $160,000 state grant to build a new playground behind the school.

A big banner the students created and all signed was presented to Harckham as part of their thank you for his help.

“For young students needing to let off some steam and enjoy part of the school day outside of the classroom, nothing beats a good playground,” said Harckham. “Plus, maintaining a healthy diet and being physically active are good habits to get into while young, so that’s what makes a new playground a smart investment, and I’m happy to partner with Ossining schools to see it through.”

Added Harckham, “What makes this even more special is that the students chose the structure from two designs by vote of the student council. I applaud their leadership.”

Currently, there are no physical structures for students to use at the playground behind the school, other than a basketball court. The new playground equipment will be age-appropriate, and the project as a whole will include painting and asphalting. It is expected the area will be used for physical education classes as well.

“We thank Senator Harckham for the funds he secured for our new playground at Roosevelt School,” said Sanchez. “This space will continue to support our efforts to address the well-being of our children.”

The ceremony took place inside the cafeteria at the Roosevelt school, where Harckham first met with members of the school’s student leadership council and answered questions about government service and his career. The students are in the midst of prepping for a debate, and Harckham also was asked for some “tips” about how to frame—and win—an argument.

Principal Grier remarked, “During a recent school-wide student survey, many students expressed that they would like to have more options for play at recess. So, thank you to Senator Harckham for securing the funds needed to provide more options for students. While our current cohort will be off to middle school before our new playground is installed, the students are happy to have played such a significant role in advocating for and selecting the new playground design that will benefit future students for many years to come.”

Last year, Harckham was able to obtain $400 million in educational aid for the 40th Senate District, an increase of almost $10.5 million from the previous year’s educational aid. More importantly, he was able to step up and gain $10 million for Ossining to meet the gap in its Foundation Aid. He later introduced legislation to get the state Department of Education to review how foundation aid calculations end up as shortfalls in some Westchester schools, like Ossining.

Although Harckham does not represent the Town of Ossining, there are a number of school-age residents in the Town of Yorktown and Town of New Castle, which are part of the 40th Senate District, who have the opportunity to attend the Ossining public schools.

Harckham promised to return for the new playground’s ribbon-cutting ceremony