Witchcraft Heights Elementary School Unveils New Playground
Playground symbolizes community effort, belonging
SALEM (Oct. 17, 2024) – ‘And how are the children?’
It was the first line Witchcraft Heights Elementary School Principal Susan Carmona spoke when she opened the ribbon cutting ceremony of her school’s new playground Thursday. The traditional greeting of the Masai warriors was all too appropriate for the occasion considering it is this year’s adopted theme of Salem Public Schools leadership.
At WHES, the children are well.
Collaboration and community were also on display as Essex County, City of Salem and SPS District officials unveiled and lauded WHES’s robust playground.
As soon as the speaking and dedication portion of the ceremony ended, a small group of student guests beelined to the climbing ropes, balance walks, swings and slides. Among them was visually-impaired fourth grader J.J. Reyes, fittingly the last speaker of the ceremony, who expressed his thanks and appreciation of the playground’s inclusivity.
More than a year in the making, the WHES Playground was a joint effort between Salem Public Schools, Essex County and the City of Salem, along with the WHES Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and several WHES parents, all of whom took an active role in the funding, design and decision-making.
Among those in attendance were Senator Joan Lovely (2nd Essex District) and State Representative/School Committee Vice Chair Manny Cruz (SHS Class of 2010, 7th Essex District); Mayor/School Committee Chair Dominick Pangallo, also a SPS parent; SPS Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike; and Hilary Grimes, an instructional paraprofessional and PTO member at WHES.
Each expressed their awe of the playground and spoke of the importance of belonging and gratitude for those who brought it to fruition.
“I’m ecstatic, thrilled to have this space that’s inclusive and explorative for kids to socialize at the buddy bench, to play basketball, to play cards,” said Ms. Carmona, in her seventh year at WHES, the last four as principal. “To have this opportunity that our students didn’t have before just warms my heart.”
Other honored guests included Salem City Council member Alice Rose Merkl and Salem School Committee member AJ Hoffman.
The playground was designed by M3 Land Studio of Lexington, Mass., and CEO Mariana Mariscal, who was in attendance, while the landscaping was done by Heimlich Landscaping of Woburn, Mass.
Complete with foam rubber flooring, each apparatus accommodates and offers challenges – many specific for climbing and navigating – for all elementary school-aged children with ample space to roam.
A two-thirds-sized basketball court with adjustable glass backboards and padded posts was constructed, along with two shaded picnic areas on one end. Between the picnic areas is a large whiteboard with seating for games and activities requiring such.
Along the basketball court will be surface activities such as hopscotch and four square (yet to be added).
Along the south and west boundaries of the playground, Heimlich Landscaping constructed gardens specific for flowers and bee sanctuaries to facilitate pollination.
As the previous iteration of the WHES playground had reached its end of life, the primary focus of the renovation was Americans Disability Act (ADA) compliance, consistent with the 2023-26 Strategic Plan core principle of belonging.
“Before, you couldn’t get into the playground without having to use steps,” said Zizzis Alepakis, SPS Director of Facilities. “We needed a playground that was ADA compliant, safe, multi-functioning and could accommodate a good number of students.”
Symbolic of the mission was young Mr. Reyes, who, after the ceremony, carefully navigated the roughly 12 feet of rope netting ascending to the platform of one of the slides. After descending from the slide, he gleefully insisted on testing the other structures.
Previous Playground & Planning (©2024 M3 Land Studio in collaboration with Jiayue Wang)
Final Walk-Through: Wednesday, Oct. 9
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Thursday, Oct. 17
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
