Sully Elementary School Principal Clark Bowers is just as excited about Discovery Park’s design, as his students are.
"This is a community-building project," he said. "The students are involved, the parents are involved and because the park is tied into the curriculum, the teachers are involved."
Discovery Park is an educational playground scheduled to be built in October.
"It has brought the entire community together for the benefit of our kids," Bowers said.
SULLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL students gathered around Discovery Park and Playground’s designer, John Dean, in the school’s cafeteria Tuesday, Dec. 6. Students told the designer what they would like to be included in the plans for their park.
After talking to students and teachers, Dean spent the afternoon in the school’s cafeteria drawing the park’s plans. Sully Elementary School PTO member Peter Kronenberg said it was a long day.
"The designer worked with all of the kids in the morning and spent the afternoon making the plans," Kronenberg said. "He incorporated a lot of the kids’ ideas as well as science elements into the plans."
THE DISCOVERY PARK plans include a miniature Jamestown fort, components of friction, music pitches and a gazebo, Bowers said. In the gazebo, there are six pillars.
"Each pillar stands for something different. They stand for respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship and trustworthiness," Bowers said. "We are teaching kids how to be good citizens, as well as get their exercise on the playground."
Dean will present the final blue prints to the school in a couple of months, Kronenberg said.
Construction on the park is tentatively scheduled to begin Oct. 18. The project takes five days to complete.
"Dean went back to his shop in Ithaca to refine the plans," Kronenberg said. "Now, we need volunteers to actually come out and help build."
When the park is ready to be built, there will be skilled professionals on-site to help volunteers with the project.
"There is something for everyone in the community to do," said PTO member Valerie Petrey. "Volunteers can help build, help watch the kids, help serve food. … This is a community project."