The Sunday News
Sports Reporter
CARMEL School in Bulawayo now has a playground for their infant learners, a development the institution’s headmaster Crispin Eley said will play a huge part in the cognitive growth of the youngsters.
Speaking at the official opening of the recreational area last Friday, Eley described the playground as a learning centre that is capable of contributing to the developmental requirements of the children. The playground caters for the ECD B, Grade One and Two classes.
“One of the aims of this playground is to recognise play as a central part of childhood development and contribute to cognitive, social, physical and emotional development of children. We wanted to design a playground that’s got equipment that is equivalent to their developmental needs,’’ Eley said.
Carmel board chairperson Melody Mwete, who officially opened the playground, said it was an enormous way of promoting the school to prospective parents. She described how excited the children were when the equipment in the recreational area was being put up since some youngsters were already playing in there before work was even complete.
“We are so happy this is now at our school, it’s a great marketing tool but at the same time it’s just seeing the children’s joy when they play on it. It was life changing for me, I just saw a few children here before we had finished painting, they were playing on the swings,’’ Mwete said.
Beneficiaries of the playground, the children, who all got an opportunity to speak in front of their teachers and parents, expressed how grateful they are to Eley for setting up the area.
Parents with children at the school as well as a teacher donated some of the equipment for the playground. Kershelmar Dairies, represented at the official opening by their managing director Louis Scheepers have bought advertising space at the playground which will see them pay monthly for their signage to be put up.
