Seaford Manor Elementary Debuts Adaptive Playground

SEAFORD, NY — As the weather continues to warm, Seaford Manor Elementary School added a new space that’ll give all of its students a chance to recreate outside: An adaptive playground.

In a ceremony attended by administrators, board of education members, parents, students and teachers, the district announced the official opening of a space that it hopes will be more than a place to play. With ramp accessibility, rocker chairs and swings specifically chosen for their accessibility and sensory properties, district officials said the adaptive playground would be a place for kids to feel like part of the community at Seaford Manor.

“Our new adaptive playground at Seaford Manor is more than just a space to play,” Principal Joann Krudis said. “It’s a place where every child feels seen, included and empowered. It reflects our commitment to creating an environment where all students can learn, grow and thrive together.”

Planning for the adaptive playground took place last year, district officials said, and included the input of administrators, facilities staff and teachers to find the ideal design and equipment to make the interactive playground a reality. For Seaford School District’s Executive Director for Student Support Services Mary Catherine Culella-Sun, seeing the playground come to life at a location between elementary and middle school buildings was the realization of a vision of Seaford Manor Elementary as a place where kids could feel like they belong.

“This playground represents years of thoughtful planning, collaboration and a shared commitment to our children and our school community,” Culella-Sun said. “We are proud to open a space designed for play, exploration and connection, a place where our students can build friendships, grow in confidence and simply enjoy being children. It’s a space that reflects not only creativity and care, but also our shared values of belonging, unity and respect for one another.”

The day of the ribbon cutting was also Vikings United Day, an annual tradition in Seaford Schools that celebrates not only pride in the school district, but pride in the students who learn there, across a full spectrum of educational, emotional and social learning needs.

As part of the Vikings United festivities, three students were honored for helping design the official t shirt of Vikings United Day: Seaford Middle School eighth grader Ryan Kind, whose submission won a district-wide contest to become the Vikings United shirt, and Maria Monteiro Hildebrand and Lucy Malone, who were runners up from their respective grade levels.