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Robbie Laberge, a third-grader at Jean Massieu School of the Deaf, tackled the twisted blue climbing tower and then headed off for the slide. He's pleased his school now has its own playground.
"It's very cool," he said through an American Sign Language interpreter. "It's boring if you have no playground."
After hurdling over a funding obstacle and erasing late-night graffiti that threatened to delay the playground's debut, the students and their supporters celebrated the opening of the playground Monday on the first day of school.
This is the first time in a dozen years that Jean Massieu School (JMS) has had a playground, said PTA President Crystal Hess. The school, formerly a charter school, became part of the state-run Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in 2005 and moved to its current location, 1655 E. 3300 South, a couple of years ago. But the school did not have enough money to build a playground.
So students began raising money, selling gift cards to Barnes & Noble and other retailers. Members of the PTA applied for grants and corporate sponsorships. Together they raised $55,000. This year, the Utah Legislature, which provides funding to USDB each year, pitched in the remaining $100,000 needed to build the playground.
"JMS students, we are so proud of you," Hess told the students at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday. "We've accomplished our goal. Now you know, throughout your life, you can set goals and achieve them."
But the opening party almost was derailed last week when vandals crept into the playground and tagged the equipment with blue graffiti, including curse words. The Unified Police Department estimated the damage at about $2,000.
"It was devastating for all of us," USDB Superintendent Steven Noyce said Monday. "Everybody was upset."
The news spread and many volunteers came to pressure wash and scrub the equipment and asphalt, including a vacationer in town from Victorville, Calif., and the owner of Creekside Landscaping in South Salt Lake, Noyce said, noting more people helped than he could name.
"We are very thankful for all the work they put in. Just the outpouring from the community probably made up for what happened, even though we wish it never did," said Gabe Areano, facility coordinator for USDB. "There's always a bad group who has to come in and ruin it for everybody else."
The playground is wheelchair accessible and features a range of activities for children of varying ability levels. Designers also avoided higher-density plastics which can generate static electricity and interfere with cochlear implants that some deaf children use to enhance their hearing. The slides are made of stainless steel.
Sen. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, pushed for funding of the playground at the Legislature earlier this year. She was surprised to learn the school did not have one. "Every school should have a playground," she told students on Monday. "There have been recent studies that have shown play and exercise help with brain development. So it's not just fun, it's great for your brain."
About JMS
Jean Massieu School of the Deaf serves about 100 students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing from preschool through grade 12. Students are taught American Sign Language, English reading and writing, and other curriculum as required by grade.