Venetia Elementary School students, faculty members and parents, as well as School Board Chairman Tommy Hazouri, School Board member Vicki Drake and other district representatives, recently dedicated the school’s new playground at a ribbon cutting ceremony.
"This is a historical day for our school; it's not every day we get to open a playground of this magnitude," said Principal Ellen Rubens.
Through the assistance of the school's PTA, as well as City Councilman Michael Corrigan and JEA, the school received $75,000 to construct the playground.
"Our PTA raised $25,000 over a period of about five years, and was given a matching grant from the City of $25,000. We were then notified that JEA needed a parcel of our land that we weren't really using for a neighborhood drainage project, which provided us with an additional $25,000," said Rubens. "It's great to have everyone working together."
Rubens also credited Venetia parent Billy Burke, who works for HDR Engineering, for helping with the project and putting the school in touch with the City's Recreation and Community Programming Division and Councilman Corrigan for additional assistance.
School Board Chairman Tommy Hazouri also thanked the school and City for the joint venture.
"It's a win-win situation when the City and school district work together," said Hazouri. "We can do more together and be more productive when we combine our efforts."
During the ceremony, Principal Rubens read part of the poem Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte, highlighting how all of the traits expressed in the poem (sharing, honesty, acceptance, friendliness, etc.) can be lovingly conveyed through play at school and play at home.
"Our new playground is a wonderful vehicle for the teaching of these traits to these children."
Students were excited about their new playground, and expressed gratitude to everyone who participated in the project.
"Everyone that helped did a really great job in raising the money and building us a new playground," said Ivan I., a fifth-grader.
"Thank you! We love it," said third-grader Grace D.
More 'Spotlight on Education' Articles
