BIG NEWS!!

Alright all, I have some BIG NEWS!!!!

Here’s the backstory: Last October our class went to the Greenville Zoo and played at Cleveland Park right next to it afterward. We were inspired by the wheelchair accessible playground. Our kids could freely move about, play with the toys, and go down the slides. Our little special ed playground right outside our room is quite pitiful. It consists of one plastic climbling/slide thing which only 1 out of 7 students can actually get on, a few wooden benches, and a broken sand digger. Most of my students are in wheelchairs and have limited gross motor skills. Two of my students in wheelchairs can get out and climb around, but get dirty and put that dirt in their mouth too!

So I went home that weekend and searched around until I found the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant which awards between $2,500 to 5,000 to schools nationwide. I had three days until the deadline. I drew up basic idea of plans for an improved playground and applied quickly and prayed hard. My awesome assistants encouraged me to ask for all 5,000 which I was skeptical, thinking they might pick us if we asked for less (they give to about a thousand schools twice a year).

Two days ago I opened my email to find this title “Update: Lowe’s Toolbox Grant.” I opened the email and read “Congratulations!….”! I was sitting myself in the room and freaked out!!! Printing the letter, I practically ran to the front office and started announcing everyone I could find!

My class was in music for related arts. Mrs. Bryant called and said, “We’ve won the lottery, we’re not coming back. Just kidding, what time to do you want us back?” I said, “No, I’ve won the lottery practically, come back now!” So they pushed those kids back as fast as they could and when I announced it… we four grown women jumped around and screamed like 5 year olds. Our kids had no clue what was going on. They just moved about and cheered as well… it was quite a scene. Unfortunately we didn’t get a video of me announcing it (which would have been epic), but we tried to reinact it so I could put it on my blog, but you can see 2 of my kids in it, so I am not sure about posting it. However, this is me and the letter on my smartboard:

So by the end of January we should get our packet in the mail with the check and info. Then we start! My basic goals in order of priority are:

1.       extend the playground as much as we can (we are limited by sewer/ drainage things on either side of the playground)

2.       Get a surface that the kids can play crawl around on- like pour-in-place (which is probably too expensive) or interlocking tiles (more reasonable, but still thousands of dollars)

3.       Get equipment/ toys that they can use, crawl through- you know the steering weeks, tic-tac-toe boards to spin, bells, drums, all that fun stuff.

4.       Buy benches and a table.

5.       Buy a swing!

6.       Build some sort of shelter/ covering (this probably won’t happen this year at all… but, I’ll put it on my list anyhow.)

So there you have it. I don’t know how far this 5,000 will go (although I have done some research). If you know anything about playground equipment you know that will only make a small dent, so we are still looking for other donors/ organizations who can contribute  (if you know of anyone who would want to, hit me up, we are writing a fundraising letter with this info in it.)

The most exciting thing in all this is that it is totally the Lord. Totally. He wants my kids to have an awesome playground and He will provide what they need. I really didn’t think we’d get this grant. I mean I wrote it on a whim and literally turned it in the day it was due. It is a giant undertaking that is too big for me to really comprehend and that’s how I know the Lord is in every step of it. So, you can join us in praying for some more funds and people to donate time. (Lowe’s employees can volunteer time as well and that will be great!)

Between all our own personal trips to Lowe’s to buy stuff for our home improvement projects and this grant, I am going to be best friends with those employees. They already ask how our house is coming when we go. It’s kinda scary sometimes.

So cheers to keeping Lowe’s in business, big journey’s in renovating a playground, students moving and exploring, and most importantly, PRAISE to God for answering prayers.

(And for anyone who clicked on this link thinking our BIG NEWS was we were pregnant… nope. Sorry to disappoint. J)