Hugh Cole School Gets New Playground

On Wednesday morning, preschool students flocked to the school's newly built playground to climb, slide, and run off their energy.

The playground, which is just phase one of the school's playground extension project, has been a year in the making.

"In the spring of 2010 we collaborated with the parents group because we knew with addition of more students, we would need to extend our playground and to build a playground that the preschool students could use," said parent Tara Thibaudeau. "We really needed an age appropriate playground for them."

With the financial help of the school department, the whole parents group and special education department, the playground was built very quickly, turning an idea into a reality.

"I never expected this to happen so fast," Thibaudeau said. "Its very exciting."

Superintendent of schools Melinda Thies was also on site for the ribbon cutting ceremony held on Wednesday afternoon, thrilled about the new playground.

"It was a great initiative and great partnership between the parents and the district to get this playground built," Thies said. "It is absolutely wonderful."

The next phase includes adding fitness stations and a new basketball court on the back side of the building. A which includes the construction of an Evo System playground much like the one built on the side of .