Northeast Dubois Elementary celebrates opening of new playground
Since February, the 240 Northeast Dubois Elementary School students have eagerly awaited their opportunity to return to the school’s playground.
That’s when the fences went up around the school’s 23-year-old playground, and crews began demolishing and constructing a brand-new playground from the ground up. Though the area was off-limits, the construction commotion and equipment provided the kids with plenty of entertainment until they could get back out there.
“They would anxiously stand along the fence line watching all the construction equipment,” said Dubois Elementary Principal Courtney Hopf. “And they would cheer as they saw different pieces of equipment being installed.”
The Seger family, Farbest Foods, and Wabash Valley supported the complete update of the elementary school playground, which opened to the students for the first time on Wednesday.
The video below shows the moment the entire student body was released for the first time to try out the new equipment.
Jerry and Lila Seger donated the previous playground, which was installed in 2001. Hopf said that it was a great playground for the elementary school. However, with a growing preschool program and the addition of the Celestine Elementary students, the new playground meets the needs of the younger children while providing some updated playground pieces.
Some of those updates include pieces like a merry-go-round and see-saw that accommodate wheelchairs. It also has a new fitness and climbing structure, the Vistastar, which is very popular with the students now.
“I think that is really a hot spot right now because it is so new and different from anything we have had previously,” Hopf said, adding that the kids have been using all the new equipment a lot.
“They’ve just been trying out everything so far,” she said. “At this point, they’re definitely just running from one thing to the next to sample everything. It is pretty entertaining.”
The new construction also includes improved drainage and added landscaping. The drainage means rainy days won’t necessarily keep kids from accessing the playground.
Hopf thanked Farbest Food, Wabash Valley, and the Seger family for the donation. “Being able to have such generous companies in our community who are willing to donate and invest in our kids is just truly a humbling thing,” she said. “This is a breath of fresh air not just for the school but for our whole community. It is just fantastic to have this featured in the center of our community.”
Wabash Valley and Farbest donated the new playground in honor of Jerry and Lila Seger. The Segers have deep connections to Dubois; the playground will carry their name.
“Jerry grew up in Dubois, was a key member of the Dubois High School basketball team in the early 40s, and started a business in Dubois,” said Billy Harris, director of Human Resources at Wabash Valley, who also serves on the Northeast Dubois School Board. “This community and school system meant a lot to him and means a lot to his family, today.”
