Plainfield Public Schools Celebrate Fourth Inclusive Playground Opening

PLAINFIELD, NJ — On Monday, the Plainfield Public Schools opened its fourth outdoor inclusive Plainfield at the Plainfield Early Learning Center, formerly the Black United Fund, on Grant Avenue.Staff, students, and Assistant Principal Sevcan Abedin gathered for a ribbon cutting at the preschool, which was acquired, along with another BUF building, in June of last year. Similar playgrounds have been installed at Evergreen, Clinton, and Stillman Elementary Schools.“This school is extremely accessible for our students with special needs, and this playground was specifically built with them in mind,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Filippatos. ”There are spaces for students to be safe and have equal access to explore all the sensory experiences they need at the preschool level."“Outdoor play is required in the preschool curriculum,” she continued. "It represents 30 minutes of every day. Students get to go outside and exercise all their muscles, not just their brains. This is a huge part of our strategic priorities. We want to make sure we are investing in our students’ future, creating spaces that bring students back into the district, and making sure our resources are reaching every part of the city.”Business Administrator Cameronx Cox said the playground represents a $365,000 investment.“This ensures that even our earliest learners have the foundation they need to be successful both mentally and physically,” said Cox. “I want to thank our Board of Education for their continued support in allowing us to make these investments in our students. I also want to recognize our Director of Facilities and Grounds, Sean Sutton, and Assistant Director Bogden Korenovskyy, for their diligence in ensuring the playground was completed on time and that a secure new fence was installed to protect this space.”