Long awaited playground equipment installed at Hickman Co. Elementary

(Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by Richard Todd, Hickman County Elementary School Principal)

Your kids are probably tired this afternoon as we just finished our first full week of school.

Whereas the first week (three days long) is dominated by meeting the teachers, renewing acquaintances with friends, and returning to the routine of school, this week’s focus has been the return to academics.

We’ve had a good week, and the 2019-20 school year will be memorable for your students and our staff for many reasons.

We will debut our new playground equipment soon. Our students and staff last year raised several thousand dollars for the purchase, and the process has not been easy.

Several companies exist that offer such products, and none of them are cheap. Something that most people don’t consider, either, is that the cost of shipping and installation usually equals or even surpasses the cost of the equipment.

Policies and regulations require us to have playground equipment installed by professionals.

Too, we ran into a hindrance because of water and utility lines. The company from which we purchased the playground equipment (PlayWorld Systems) contacted 811 in mid-July to get the lines marked.

They came, but marked outside the playground fence. Obviously, unless we wish to place playground equipment near the street – and not inside the playground fence – then that does very little to help. A second call didn’t produce any results either, thus causing the hold-up of installation last weekend.

However, in Hickman County, we get things done. Our district fix-it guys, Bobby Kelly and William Jones, managed to find experts to get the lines marked, then began digging to test the ground and thus ensure that the water and utility lines would not be damaged when the playground products were installed (no, we didn’t hit any, thank goodness).

Those two managed to dig enough to ensure that utility and water service would not be disrupted as the new play items were put into the ground.

The kids should be able to enjoy the new playground equipment sometime next week. Those items include:

• Two Spin Cups – A proven student favorite that goes around and round and round. One of their best-sellers, so we got two.

• Moon Rock - This is for climbing without a steep grade. It also offers students a tunnel to climb under.

• Activo-Nucleo – A balance board similar to a skateboard except that it is stationary.

• The Overdrive – This is similar to a merry go round except that kids will hang on – like doing a pull-up! This looks so fun!

The items all have been proven safe by PlayWorld, all are designed to encourage active fun, and all will be in school colors.

Our students should be able to enjoy them safely for years to come. Bobby and William plan to have the area mulched next week, and our kids are excited to try out the additions.

If your child is in grades 4-8 and interested in choir, then you and your child will need to attend a parent meeting Monday at 5 p.m. in the HCHS library. Again, that’s the high school library.

Kaitlyn Workman, math teacher at HCHS, will take over this year as the choir director.

The hope is for the program to begin practice soon and maintain the momentum gained last year with the introduction of the program.

The Student of the Month will now by selected by me, while teachers will now choose the Citizen of the Month based on the FALCONS FLY character traits (for example, August is Follow Directions Quickly.

I will select one student per grade level per month in grades K-6, deliver the sign and a letter explaining why I selected your child, then pick up the sign about four weeks later.

Please leave the signs in your yard during the month to display HCES Falcon Pride.

Parents, thank you for your support regarding our new safety procedures and other back-to-school processes. Change can be difficult…but your understanding and support have made it remarkably simple and smooth.