The first major piece of Silver Creek’s capital project has fallen into place, and it might be the most fun update of all. The school’s new playground is now open.

“This is where kids will make memories that they will think about forever,” Ralston said.

Dozens of guests showed up to the school on a Monday morning in July to witness the ribbon cutting on the new Silver Creek school playground. Among the guests were County Executive PJ Wendel, representatives on behalf of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, members of the Board of Education, and several district administrators. State Sen. George Borrello, Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, and Congressman Nick Langworthy each commended the district through a representative on their behalf, as well.

“A child’s future starts with the way they play. Connectedness to the school is incredibly important, and it starts when it’s fun. It starts here at this playground,” Ralston said.

Pictured is the new Silver Creek school playground. The custom equipment was designed and supplied by Parkitects.

Ralston cut the ribbon to officially open the playground and welcome dozens of guests to the district’s newest highlight.

Parkitects was awarded the bid for the new playground at just under $1 million. The substantial upgrades included a knight-themed entryway with cutout knights for students to pose with for photos, as well as castle-themed towers.

Color schemes mimic water, bridges, and grass, while avoiding using the color black because of how hot it gets in the sunlight. There are also covered seating areas to provide shade for guests during the warm weather.

“You can tell when you look around, it’s all custom,” Ralston said. “We added the Silver Creek magic to it, and that’s what I feel like this is, it’s magic.”

In its entirety, the Capital Project is the largest in the school’s history at a total cost of $36.1 million. The project improves facilities throughout the district, both inside the walls of the school and outdoors. The interior of the school will see substantial upgrades to the auditorium, the pool, and many classrooms, while outdoors, a multi-sport “super field” will be constructed behind the school.

Pictured is the new Silver Creek school playground. The custom equipment was designed and supplied by Parkitects.

Architects from CPL are overseeing the project in its entirety, with management through Buffalo Construction Consultants. The work has already begun on the “super field”, which will be located just behind the new playground, allowing families to enjoy the playground while games are going on.

“I hope when people step back and realize when the voters approved this project, when the Board of Education said let’s go forward with this, it is something that matters to the whole entire community,” Ralston said.

Inclusivity is a focal point of the new playground. The former playground’s wood chip surface has been replaced with a rubberized surface to increase safety and enhance accessibility for all guests, but especially for individuals with walking devices or wheelchairs.

The playground also features a communication board with pictures and words for nonverbal children to utilize to communicate with other children or adults. The suggestion came from Director of Special Education Megan Cook, and the pictures and words were chosen by the Special Education Department.

The playground is intentionally separated into two sections to allow for different age groups to enjoy simultaneously. It also includes turf mounds for children to safely roll down or climb up a hill. Equipment was chosen specifically to appeal to children of all ages and abilities, with input from district staff, parents, and community members.

“There’s something for everybody,” Ralston said. “We made sure that all students have a space that they don’t feel overwhelmed, they don’t feel intimidated, they feel safe.”

Ralston believes the new playground will be a destination for residents and visitors alike. It will serve as a place that families visit during the summer and on days off.

“It’s something, truly, for the whole community,” Ralston said.

A special part of the project itself is that first grade students could see the progress of the construction from out the windows of their classrooms. Each day, students could track the progress and see the playground come together piece by piece.

“They saw it coming to fruition,” Ralston said. “They will have that memory. It’s just amazing.”