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Parkview's inclusive playground opens for play

Celebrating the community that made an accessible playground possible

Naomi Krueger

Naomi Krueger

— 5 min read
Parkview's inclusive playground opens for play
Cutting the ribbon moments before a crowd of students rushed onto the new playground. Pictured left to right: Superintendent Jenny Loeck, Principal Nathaniel Gibbs, Carolyn Weatherhead, Valerie Malzer, Emily Dahl, student Chloe S., student Maddie S., Associate Principal Tonya Weaver, Jay the Jaguar, and former Principal Kristen Smith Olson. | credit: Naomi Krueger/The Roseville Reader

As students at Parkview Center School come back for a new year of school, they get to enjoy a brand new accessible playground.

This playground is two years in the making, thanks to a motivated group of parents, students, school staff, and community partners who organized and fundraised to make it possible.

"This playground is a testament to what can happen when a community comes together," Roseville Area Schools Superintendent Jenny Loeck said.

Roughly two years ago, Parkview parents Emily Dahl and Kristin Dillon started to dream about a new school playground where children of all abilities could play together.

Twenty-one percent of the students at Parkview have identified disabilities, including Dahl and Dillon's daughters. At Parkview there are 43 students with physical or mobility impairments impacting play, based on last year's student body. When it was time to replace the old playground, Dahl and Dillon were determined to make sure the new play structure would be accessible to everybody.

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