P.S. 85 Students Celebrate New Playground

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade at P.S. 85, the Judge Charles J. Vallone School, Astoria, last Wednesday, September 19, celebrated the opening of a new community playground that they designed. The students were joined by teachers, parents, members of the community and representatives from The Trust for Public Land (TPL), the New York City Department of Education (DoE) and City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr., grandson of Judge Charles J. Vallone, for whom the school is named. The playground is an especially valuable addition to P.S. 85, 80 percent of whose 577 students are eligible for free lunch. Asthma and obesity are prevalent among children attending many urban schools, and the schools themselves have little suitable space for physical education.

The playground at P.S. 85, 23-70 31st St., is a $1 million investment in the community through the Playgrounds Program of The Trust for Public Land, made possible by funding from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and a twoto one match by the DoE. A team of students, teachers, and parents at P.S. 85 met regularly for three months during the last school year to design the community playground. The final design includes a vibrant mural, a junior basketball court, a stage, a synthetic turf field, a garden, a greenhouse, three outdoor classrooms, a safety surface play area and painted games, trees, and benches.

After Mary Alice Lee, TPL playground program director, presented the introduction to the opening and dedication ceremony, P.S. 85 Principal Ann Gordon Chang delivered her opening remarks. "The students and community of the Judge Charles J. Vallone School have been given a wonderful gift from the Trust For Public Land, which will keep on giving. Our community playground will enrich the lives of all. Our playground is a diamond which will shine in our community for a long time," she told the audience.

Vallone Jr., Community School District 30 Superintendent Dr. Phillip Composto and Cynthia Greene, Police Athletic League borough director for Queens, also made short statements. Andy Stone, Trust for Public Land Parks for People-New York City initiative director, remarked on the transformation. "Prior to the transition, students played on a barren one-acre asphalt lot, yearning for a place where they could play during recess or after school. Today, their dream became a reality," he said.

Speakers from third grade Class 3-203 described the barren landscape that had constituted the old schoolyard and contrasted it with the new playground. Fifth grade students in Class 5-306 discussed the design and implementation of the new facility. Jason Goldner, P.S. 85 assistant principal, delivered closing remarks on the topic, "The Future Of Our Playground", and Class 5-306 presented an original rendition of "Take Me Out to the Playground". Refreshments were served after the ceremony.

The Trust for Public Land recently expanded its partnership with New York City, and will build 24 additional model community playground sites by 2010 as part of the Schoolyards to Playgrounds initiative of PlaNYC 2030. TPL will also facilitate design workshops with students and community members for another 161 schoolyard-to-playground sites.

The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL has created or enhanced more than 250 neighborhood parks in New York City, investing roughly $200 million in land purchases and in the design, construction, and stewardship of parks. For more information, visit www.tpl.org/nyc.