In late November, staff and students were asked for suggestions for a name for our new Little School Playground and we received hundreds of submissions. The name that has been chosen is The Little School Friendship Playground. Thank you to everyone who participated!
This name, put forward by the SK students in the Oranges Class, really underscores how relationships and friendships are foundational to the learning that takes place at York House. For our Yorkies who join us in Kindergarten, it is in this playground where the seeds of friendship are sown for our youngest learners and oftentimes, these friendships last a lifetime. It is for this reason that our new signage also has an additional line that reads “Where friendships grow…”
If the pandemic has taught us anything it is how important human connections are to our health and wellbeing. The reimagination of The Little School Friendship Playground promotes exploration and physical activity through unstructured play. It is through the vehicle of play that creativity and imagination are cultivated. Through play, important interactions occur and this allows children to make connections with one another that endure well beyond the classroom.
We are so thankful for the feedback from our Little School teachers and students who inspired this new Reggio-inspired playground. We also wish to acknowledge the generosity of our community, whose contributions to our Annual Giving campaign have made this playground possible. The parent-funded Little School Playground officially opened on Valentine’s Day with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Little School staff and students.
Each and every year, donations to our Annual Giving campaign create future possibilities for students across the York House campus. The Little School Friendship Playground is a testament to our extraordinary extended YHS family and a shared belief and passion for the school. It is from this energy that our littlest Yorkies now have a brand new magical outdoor space where they can run, play, explore, and imagine.
