UPDATED 10/5/2021
YORK, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – It’s the first of its kind at this elementary school in the York community. Cotton Belt Elementary school is preparing for a new all-inclusive playground for kids of all abilities to enjoy.
Two new playsets are being installed at Cotton Belt Elementary School in York. The first will replace a more than 20 year old set and the second will be an inclusive set for kids of all abilities catering to the schools children in wheelchairs.
Cotton Belt’s Principal, Jennifer Bolin, says, “It just became a need in the aspect of we had some issues with them being able to access our playground currently with boundaries and with wood mulch being our foundation.”
Costing around $300,000 the new sets were funded by York School District’s Capital Projects Fund. The schools educators say play is important.
“Play is the most important education feature that children can have. They learn more through their play with their peers than they actually do a lot of times in the classroom. We have found that children learn a lot from each other, being able to include each other in that,” says Bolin.
Right now, teachers say there is only one special-needs swing that’s available and this is truly a life-changing opportunity for these students.
A special needs educator at Cotton Belt Elementary, Scottee Horne, says, “The playground will encapsulate a sensory friendly and wheelchair and assessable equipment for all of my students in wheelchairs, even those and Gen Ed who are also wheelchair-bound.”
Teaching special needs students at Cotton Belt for the last four years, Horne says this is somethings she’s been pushing from the start. She says these sets will give students more independence.
“We will finally have some outdoor time, you know we’ve been walking around the parking lot for some fresh air and so we’ll finally get to be included in that environment, in that play environment and get to learn through play that way,” says Horne.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with school leaders about the new ways to play.
