Dr. Bernard Brosseau Middle School has accomplished a lot this year.
Not only is the school celebrating 30 years of educating local students, but Dr. Brosseau is also an Apple Distinguished School. They commemorated this and more during the grand opening of their inclusive playground on Tuesday, June 19.
Principal Vince Spila said the playground was built after noticing one of their students couldn’t access the other one.
“We thought ‘that isn’t right.’ We want all of our kids to be included,” Spila detailed, adding it’s important that students and the community have access to the playground, because it’s a popular destination for families.
“The community has grown so much here, and if you’re here on the evening or weekends, there’s people here all the time,” expressed Spila.
It was an observation from a student’s older sibling that got the ball rolling to develop the inclusive playground, because the previous jungle gym proved to be difficult for children with mobility issues.
“My daughter Kennedy is smaller than most,” explained Andrea Reid, a member of the parent advisory committee. “She needs some assistance for most playgrounds in Bonnyville, and the other (Dr. Brosseau) playground in particular, because you need to climb onto it. There’s no way she could have gotten onto that playground.”
Kennedy has a rare disease called Costello Syndrome that affects her growth and mobility.
After Reid discussed the issue with Spila, the school reached out to the Lakeland Catholic School District for a loan to start construction on an all-inclusive playground that Kennedy and other children could access.
“An inclusive playground means that any child can access it and play on it,” explained vice principal Jill Smyl. “If they have mobility issues, a wheelchair, or a hard time walking, they will be able to play on the playground with their peers and access everything here.”
A representative from the parent advisory committee was there during the celebration to thank the community for their support during their fundraising efforts and for the help they had installing the playground.
The school also celebrated being recognized as a Apple Distinguished School for their use of iPads and Macbooks in classrooms.
During the event, Smyl explained how they’re able to provide students with opportunities to access and acquire information through technology.
Being an Apple Distinguished School means all of the teachers at Dr. Brosseau completed courses on how to use Apple products in the classroom, and that each student in the school has access to an iPad.
They ended their celebrations with students participating in events for the afternoon, including basketball games and attempting to dump their teachers into a dunk tank.
