Playground Addition Project
Staff and students will vote on a spinning toy to include in the design as well.
*The winning spinning element is... THE OMNISPINNER!
Timeline of PTA Playground Project
Overview of Playground Addition Project:
PTA Playground Project FAQs:
When will you announce the results of the staff and student vote?
Staff and students will vote for their choice by Thursday, May 4th. PTA will announce the winning design in the next PTA General Members Meeting on May 11th @ 1:30 PM. We will also send another announcement via email following the meeting.
May PTA General Membership Meeting
Thurs, May 11th @1:30 PM
Mercer Island Shore Club Lounge or via Zoom
*The winning spinning element is... THE OMNISPINNER!
When will the playground addition be installed at Northwood?
After the results of our vote, PTA will work with MISD Facilities to place an order for the playground design parts for expected delivery in August. Installation and construction should take about 1 week. Once the district receives parts and is able to schedule installation during the week of a school break - construction will begin!
*Construction began in June 2023 and completed in August 2023!
Will the existing rocks and trees in the designated location for the Playground Addition be able to stay?
Yes, most of the existing natural elements will remain untouched. For installation of this project, 2 small trees and 2 medium-sized evergreen trees will be dug out transplanted (if possible).
Why can we only vote on the spinner and not other parts of the structure?
Our 2019-2020 and 2021-2023 PTA Board members have worked with MISD Facilities and Northwood Administration to create a design that fits within the needs of the students and the school. Much discussion and thought took place to arrive at the current proposal. We do want to allow for voice from all from the community so opted to have our community vote on the type of spinner that will be used at Northwood.
Can we choose a different color for the structure?
MISD Facilities would like for the new structure to look well with and similar to the existing playground, so the colors chosen will be the same as the current structure already in place at Northwood.
Why are we doing this now? Why did we wait so long after the money was raised?
After our March 2020 Read-A-Thon fundraiser for the playground structure, the MISD schools closed on March 13th, 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The original playground project was jointly funded by both MISD and PTA. However, MISD's priorities shifted since March 2020 and the original funds from MISD needed to be used for the safety of both students and staff for both virtual and in-person school during the pandemic of the last few years.
With the change in funding, PTA had to develop a new design. PTA consulted with members of our PTA Board, as well as school administration and the MISD Facilities Department. Lastly, PTA wanted to allow for the MISD Facilities team to have the capacity to proceed and move forward with the new project. As the project will be installed on MISD-owned property, much coordination is needed between PTA and MISD Facilities regarding the project's foundation, installation and construction.
If PTA has funds for a project like this, can PTA also use funds to help cover the budget shortfall and the proposed reduction in force for the district?
PTA bylaws discourage funding staff salaries for several reasons. One of the reasons is that funding a salary creates liability risks and PTA is not equipped to have fully vetted grant policies or insurance to protect our volunteer organization in these instances. To read MI PTA Council's Statement on Funding Staff Salaries, click here.
Secondly, due to our Playground Fundraiser prior to COVID, many family and friends donated money specifically for a playground structure. If PTA fundraises for a specific purpose, then any funds donated through that campaign may only be used for that specific purpose, in this case, the playground addition.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to PTA President Cathy Chen - President@northwoodowlspta.org.
