PRINCESS ANNE, MD, November 16, 2023 – Somerset County Public Schools (SCPS) recently commemorated the installation of inclusive playgrounds at all four (4) of the system’s elementary schools at a recent ribbon cutting ceremony at Princess Anne Elementary School. During the summer months of 2023, SCPS partnered with Cunningham Recreation to install inclusive playgrounds at all four elementary schools; Deal Island Elementary, Greenwood Elementary, Princess Anne Elementary & Carter G. Woodson Elementary. SCPS leveraged the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III grant to fund the projects. The additional equipment enables students with disabilities to feel included at recess, playing and learning alongside their classmates.
SCPS’ Supervisor of Special Education, Dr. Brandy Brady shared, “This project was conceived when a special education teacher contacted me with her concern for a student with disabilities who was excluded from playing with their peers during recess. I knew that it was my duty as Supervisor of Special Education to find the resources to build more inclusive play-spaces for our elementary students with disabilities.”
Facilities & Maintenance District Manager, Mr. Jon Hill shared, “The equipment installed by Cunningham Recreation is designed to be used by students of all abilities, but accommodating for those students who may have difficulty using or accessing the other play-spaces on our playgrounds due to their disability. We chose to install the inclusive playground equipment in a central location on each school’s playground to encourage inclusivity and interaction between students of all abilities.”
The new inclusive playgrounds feature a merry-go-round, tactile and auditory sensory equipment and specialized swings for students with mobility impairments. Somerset County Public Schools (SCPS) is the first school system in the state of Maryland to feature inclusive playgrounds at all elementary schools.
Facilities & Maintenance District Manager, Mr. Jon Hill (center-left) and Somerset Board of Education Chairperson, Mr. Bill McInturff (center-right) prepare to cut the ribbon commemorating the installation of inclusive playgrounds at all four SCPS’ elementary schools, as district leadership, special education faculty, and leaders from the Somerset community look on.
(L-R) Supervisor of Special Education, Dr. Brandy Brady; Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Gaddis; District Scheduler for MD Senator Marybeth Carozza, Mrs. Carol Rose; Director of Schools, Mrs. Tracie Bartemy; Carter G. Woodson Elementary School Principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Berry; Concentration of Poverty Coordinator, Dr. Dot Bell-Jackson; Facilities & Maintenance District Manager, Mr. Jon Hill; Coordinator of Special Education, Mr. Zeb Barlow; Somerset Board of Education Chairperson, Mr. Bill McInturff; Eastern Shore Regional Director to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Ms. Alyssa Hastings; Maryland State Delegate, Charles J. Otto; Somerset County Commissioner, Mr. Darryl Webster; City of Crisfield Mayor, Ms. Darlene Taylor; Regional Spokesperson for U.S. Congressman Andy Harris, Mr. Bill Reddish; Princess Anne Elementary School Principal, Mrs. Christa Taylor; SCPS Deputy Superintendent, Mr. Tom Davis
Princess Anne Elementary Students play with sensory equipment on the school’s new inclusive playground.
A group of students play on the merry-go-round on Princess Anne Elementary School’s new inclusive playground.
A Princess Anne Elementary School student plays the xylophone on the school’s new inclusive playground.
Princess Anne Elementary School students play on the school’s new inclusive playground swing set.