Zailey Merreighn gets the first round on new playground equipment at Northwest School

 

[August 13, 2020] 

On Wednesday afternoon Zailey Merreighn was the first student at Northwest School to get to swing on the new swing set on the school playground. She was given this special honor by Principal Chris Allen as a ‘Thank you’ for a donation made by Zailey toward the purchase and installation costs of the new set.

Principal Allen said that the playground needed some upgrading and that students had been asked what they would like to have in replacement of an old jungle gym that had gotten to the point that it could no longer be repaired.

As a result the school added the new swing set as well as a new rock climbing wall for students.

Zailey’s grandad, Jack Merreighn said that Zailey was really excited about the prospect of new playground equipment, especially the swing set and wanted to help out. He assisted her setting up a “Go Fund Me” account. They set a goal of how much money they wanted to raise and settled on $150. Jack said that when they reached their goal they shut down the account, collected the money and turned it over to Principal Allen.

He added that there was a lesson that he wanted Zailey to learn; that it is good to do good for others. He wanted her to understand the importance of being part of a community and contributing according to her ability. Zailey was very happy when she achieved her goal, and even happier when Principal Allen reached out and invited her to be the first to enjoy the new swings.

Allen said that school will start this fall so children will have an opportunity to play on the new equipment very soon. He explained that the school will open five days a week at 8 a.m. and dismiss at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Children will start their day by arriving at school at 8 a.m. They will go straight to their classrooms where they will have breakfast. By 8:30 a.m. everyone should be in attendance, well fed, and ready to begin their day of learning. Lunch will be served in the school cafeteria, and children will be permitted one 15-minute recess.

Allen said the school opted to go with two learning styles this year. Children may attend in-person classes or they may enroll in remote learning and stay home. He said the goal was to offer parents and children what they needed and felt comfortable with.

During fall registration, he said that about 30 percent of the students have opted to do remote learning, so classroom sizes will be reduced because of the available option. Allen added that children will have face mask requirements, and classroom furnishings will be sanitized daily. Playground equipment will be sanitized as soon as children go back into the classroom so it is ready for the next group.

Allen said the school and the district are doing everything in their power to protect staff and students. He added that no one is being naive about the situation they are in, and they know there will still be a chance that a child may contract COVID-19. Their hope is to reduce the risk as much as possible by following safe and proper protocols.

Zailey is one of the students who will be attending daily classes. Zailey stays with her grandparents during the day while her parents are at work. So, grandpa and Grandma Roberta have played a big part in her home schooling since the pandemic broke out and schools closed in March.

Both grandparents are anxious for Zailey to be able to go back to school with qualified teachers. Roberta commented that becoming a teacher along with being grandma was very difficult. Jack echoed that saying he was not good at math and some of what Zailey had to learn was a mystery to him. Fortunately, Roberta is good at math and was able to take the lead on that particular subject.

Nonetheless, Roberta says she worried and still worries that Zailey will fall behind. “Zailey is bright, and I do worry that we haven’t done enough, and that when she goes back to school she will fall behind.” Jack added to that comment saying, “We are not teachers, we’re not qualified to be instructors.” The bottom line is, it isn’t anyone’s fault if kids fall behind, parents and grandparents like the Merreighn’s are doing the best they can, but they are not trained to assess a child’s progress in a given subject and know if additional attention is needed to help that child succeed.

Good luck to all the students as they prepare to return to the classroom. We hope all will join Zailey in enjoying the new playground equipment at the school. And, we hope that all stay safe and stay healthy.

[Nila Smith]