On May 16th, Luis A. Ramos Elementary School will host a dedication ceremony for its new state of the art playground. The school will honor the individuals, faith and community-based organizations most notably Asbury United Methodist Church, and PTA members who made this dream a reality for over 900 students.
Luis A. Ramos Elementary School was originally constructed in 2010 and shared a playground with the old Jackson building (now Jackson Early Childhood Center), a building meant to hold only 300 students. With limited recess time and aging equipment, students were often unable to use the existing playground and many could not actively participate in recess. Ramos Elementary is located on 14th Street and adjacent to a major shopping center. With a student population of more than 750, it became necessary that students be provided a safe place to participate in outdoor recreational activities while remaining on school property. The playground initiative became an important goal for the school.
In 2014, the Ramos School Playground Project Committee was formed. This dedicated group of individuals worked to raise funds that covered the cost of the playground. Through the support of the Allentown School District, donations for Ramos were collected through the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and the Allentown School District Foundation. May 16th will be a day to recognize incredible community partnerships and those who have worked hard to provide students with this space.
Over the summer months the new playground was installed and ready for use. This school year, students have enjoyed playing in a safe and nurturing environment created just for them. No longer just an empty field, the new playground still has plenty of green space, but also equipment such as spinner bowls, marked game courts, and everyone’s favorite, the Spacenet. A brick walkway is integrated into the landscape of the playground, commemorating names of faculty, staff, and donors who made this possible. The playground has done more than just make play an important part of the day at Ramos; students now have the opportunity to exercise, socialize with their peers, and this has created an added sense of school pride.
“As an urban school, it is important for our students to have a dedicated space to play that is not on the streets or in parking lots,” said Marybeth Kornfeind-Ralston, principal of Ramos Elementary. “We are so thankful to the countless donors who made this project possible, and are very excited to bring them to our playground to see first-hand how much it means to our students and community.”
The dedication will take place at Ramos Elementary, 1430 West Allen Street, Allentown, PA 18102 at 9:30 am. Members of the playground committee, students, and faculty from Ramos Elementary will share what this project means to them and thank all of their community contributors.
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