LLW looks to improve playground area

IRONWOOD - Following Ironwood Area School District's transition to a single K-12 building at Luther L. Wright, the district is in the process of moving some playground equipment from the Sleight and Norrie schools to the LLW campus.

"We've taken out some of the bigger stuff over there that's not really adequate for the 4-year-olds that are over there," said. Tim Kolesar, Ironwood's superintendent, "We got a bunch of new age-appropriate equipment for our 4-year-olds over there that's just being assembled this week."

Kolesar said a sandbox, a smaller slide and climbing structure will fit the younger students better.

As for the equipment from Sleight and Norrie, Kolesar said it will be moved to an area on LLW's campus behind the football stadium, the "Dust Bowl," because of it previously being used as a practice field for the football teams.

"We've got some pretty nice playground equipment, but now we're in the process of working with the PTO to have a bunch of it installed," Kolesar said.

The Dust Bowl area is used by the track and field team for discus and is also set up for baseball, though all the equipment Kolesar hopes to have installed won't affect the area's ability to accommodate those sports.

Kolesar's long-term plan for the area includes installing several playground structures, picnic tables, swing sets, three tetherball courts and movable soccer nets.

"We contacted one of our local excavators and they're just going to start drilling holes for us and we're going to start dropping all that stuff right into place," he said.

An additional item on the district's wish list includes a basketball court on the far west side of the area. The school already has the basketball hoops.

"We want to utilize everything that we have," Kolesar said. "We've intended to have some of this stuff done before now, but again, we have limited resources and the big school switch (slowed the process). But we don't want to let this go much further because we want kids and parents to see that. This, to me, is a very safe environment for them to come down, and if we have the right things out here, I think kids can have a lot of fun during recess and things like that."

Kolesar said he's seen support from the school board and discussions have been held with the PTO to set up a work bee to start the process in the near future.

Another project Kolesar wants to move forward with is a gardening area for younger students to maintain.

Last summer, the school installed flower beds in front of LLW for a garden, and Kolesar said he wants to continue the project along the west side of the school.

"I want (students to get) hands-on learning when it comes to science and to those types of things," Kolesar said, acknowledging the fact other schools have done similar garden projects. "I'm not going to say I invent everything, but I sure like stealing great ideas. That's really where I see others doing it, and to be honest with you, I said, 'You know what, I'm willing to steal that idea.'"

Kolesar said if the gardening program gains momentum, eventually the students could plant various vegetables the school could use.

"I want to make school a true learning place," he said.