Pre-Build Day #1

Pre-Build Day #1 was a huge success! People of all ages came to lend a hand. In fact, they worked so hard that Day 2 won't take as long as initially planned.

 

Students were smiling all day in anticipation of their new playground! Good times! As the bus pulled away from the school at 2:40pm, children were heard screaming out the windows, "Thank you! We love you!" to the volunteers. What powerful lessons we are teaching them as part of this process!

Morning of Pre-build Day 1

Taking inventory

So much stuff!

Iain from Paris Equipment keeping everyone on task.

Everyone helping out! Thank you so much!

Unbelievable!

The horizon will never be the same...thanks to all of YOU!!!

End of Pre-build Day #1

Soccer field fence posts are in!
"Just for you, Mr. Shute!"

Build Day Schedule

  

                        8:00 am – Registration begins

                       11:00 am – Soup drop off by assigned volunteers 

                       11:30 – 1:00 - Lunch Rotation

2:30 pm - Finish Up

2:30 – 2:45 Group Photo

2:45 – 3:00 Get Ready for Opening Ceremony

3:00 – Opening Ceremony

3:25 – 3:30 Ribbon Ceremony

3:30 Smile J and Clean up

4:00 – 4:30 Potluck dishes delivered

4:30 Potluck Supper

Please Note: There are a variety of children’s activities planned for the entire day, complete with yogurt tubes and cheese strings for recess, hot dogs or soup for lunch, and of course, potluck & pizza for supper.

Any person under the age of 19 will not be permitted to work on the playground structure itself, due to liability and safety concerns.  

Anyone under the age of 18 must have their parent present in order to sign the waiver form at the registration desk. 

Please complete the waiver form attached to the last email update and bring it with you, unsigned, on build day.  

As well, volunteers under the age of 16 will not be permitted to "work" on site. 

There is plenty that we need to accomplish and everyone will play a special part on build day. Adult volunteers have a schedule they will need to adhere to on build day, which means that any child who is not taking part in the kids activities must be accompanied by an adult at all times.  

Live Broadcasting will be taking place throughout the day. The broadcast will be seen all over the world from the Let Them Be Kids website.  Both children and adults will be given an opportunity to take part. 

Thanks for your understanding on this matter.

BIG NEWS!!!

What an amazing afternoon today at Acreman Elementary! Students, teachers, and parents gathered in the gym for a big announcement. As students waited in anticipation, MHA Charlene Johnson stood to speak. Thanks to her hard work and the work of Derrick Dalley (Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation) we have been granted $15,000 for our Playground!!!  The smiles and cheering from the children say it all: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Shaping Up!

Things are starting to shape up around Acreman Elementary School. Thanks to Wilco Holding Co., the soccer field looks great even without the topsoil. Great job, guys! Thank you so much!

 

The play area is looking good, too, thanks to Aaron Hillier and Cory Green. You guys rock!

 

Future Site of Ridgewood Park
Former site of Ridgewood Jr. High

Prep work taking place
 



All ready

PLAY EQUIPMENT HAS ARRIVED!!!

What excitement can be felt among our community members today! Watching the Samsons Movers Truck pull in the school parking lot this morning with OUR equipment was so surreal! We have spent literally years dreaming of what life would be like for our children if we could only provide them the opportunities that others take for granted. And here we are, on September 23, 2012, watching this dream unfold before our very eyes! WOW! Words can't express the emotion we feel. Thank you Samsons Movers for helping us! Thank you Let Them Be Kids! Thank YOU!!!

Team Kian

We are pleased to announce that as part of Let Them Be Kids "Team Kian", we have been approved for funding in the amount of $2000! Kian is the son of LTBK Founders Ian and Gina Hill, a vibrant little boy who does not allow his invisible barriers to stop his love of play. This money will help cover the cost of three sensory panels (gear panel, chime panel, and tic tac toe) that provide the greatest play value for children with special needs. Thank you Let Them Be Kids for helping us achieve our goal of providing a play area for ALL children!

Drive One 4 Ur School

As with most schools, Acreman Elementary is usually a quiet and empty place on Saturdays. But not today!!! The school was buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm as people from all over came to participate in Ford's Drive One 4 Ur School Event. Many people, 178 to be exact, took time out of their day to come and test drive a Ford. For each eligible test drive, Ford Canada will give $20 to our Playground Project. Assuming all waiver forms are eligible, that means $3560! Awesome! Thank you to everyone who participated! Thank you Ford Canada!

Waiting to test drive a Ford!

Drive One 4 Ur School at Acreman Elementary

The Cal LeGrow Foundation had their public launch today. We are excited to say we are the first ever recipients of this award! They have decided to give back to our four communities so that we can impact our children and youth. They want to help us "leave a legacy," as Gail Ryan from Cal LeGrow so elequently expressed. Thank you Cal LeGrow for helping us make a difference

Members of the Cal LeGrow Foundation

give back to the community!

Mr. Cal LeGrow presents Cathy Reid
with a $2500 donation.
Thank you Cal LeGrow Foundation!

ARRIVE AND DRIVE!

 

Well, thanks to Ford Motor Company of Canada, it IS just that simple! Just arrive and drive! We have been approved for their Drive One 4 Ur School Program. For every test drive, Ford will donate $20 up to $6000) to our Playground Project! It will not cost you a thing...just give of your time!

 

Acreman Elementary School Parking Lot

September 22, 2012

TIME - TBA 

• Participants must be 18 or older and have a valid driver's license
• There is a limit of one test-drive per household
• No sales pressure

 

We need 300 households represented in order to get the most of this offer. Help us do it! Call family, friends,  and co-workers and let them know about this amazing opportunity!

Another...."First Time Ever"

As you are aware, Cal LeGrow has donated $2500 to our Playground Project. Well, we have recently been informed that this is a first time ever for them! That's right, they will be having their Public Launch/Ceremony and we are the first ever recipients!!! Soooo exciting!

We are almost there!

Well, summer has ended and students have headed back to school. September 2012 will be an exciting month at Acreman Elementary School! As you can imagine, it will be filled with anticipation and excitement as we prepare for September 29^th! It has been a wonderful journey, and as we look ahead… it is hard to believe that the finish line is within sight. We are almost there! We are so close!

 

The number one reason why people give up so

fast is because they tend to look at how far they

still have to go, instead of how far they have gotten.

~Author Unknown

 

You have helped us raise $55,363 in 4 and a half months! WOW!!! We are speechless! We could never have done it without you!

 

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because

you can only do little - do what you can.

~Sydney Smith

Because we cannot give something substantial, we sometimes choose to give nothing. What we neglect to realize is that each small gift combined IS substantial! So we need you, no matter what the size of your gift!!! We need you to give what you can and help us make this dream come true. Each donation brings us closer to the goal. Never underestimate the power of your gifts.

Our Celebration Meal!

Imagine being a part of an Extreme Play Yard Makeover and watching the children’s faces light up with excitement. Imagine seeing it all unfold, and watching what was once only a dream actually become a reality. I don’t know about you, but we get overwhelmed with emotion when we just imagine that day! To experience it first-hand must be indescribable! That’s why we decided to have a family friendly “Celebration Meal”. Once the opening ceremony is over and children are enjoying the playground, we thought we would have a first time ever Community Potluck involving the 4 communities and beyond. We anticipate the adrenaline will be running high, and despite how tired we will be from working all day, we won't want to leave. We thought this would be a great time for us to socialize and reflect on the amazing result of what happens when communities work together. If you are able to provide a dish, perhaps one that may be a family favorite, please contact Shannon Taylor at (709) 680-0148 or shannonwoodman@hotmail.com. The dishes may include main course, side dishes, casseroles, desserts, or rolls. We are asking that there be no fish, peanuts, or egg products due to student allergies. More details to follow.

Hair Bows for Acreman!

It is awesome to see people stepping up and using the talents they have to help make a difference. Thanks to Tehia Harnum, you can now purchase hair bows. She is selling bows $3.50 each. There are two kinds to pick from – see picture below. $2.00 from every bow will go back to the playground!! These will be available to order until build day!! They are yellow and turquoise to match the T-shirts!! You can find her event on Facebook or call 587-2614 or contact a Playground Committee member.

 

Thank You Air Canada!

Air Canada has approved our application and is going to provide the requested ticket to transport the Equipment Supervisor from Paris Equipment. It is our understanding that this is the first time Air Canada has been involved with a Let Them Be Kids Project. Thank you Air Canada!!!

PRE-BUILD PREP!

So, you weren't pleased when you found out you have to work on September 29th. Well, no fear...you can still be a very big part of this amazing project! You see, we need 8-10 volunteers for the Thursday and Friday before the build day of September 29th. The LTBK equipment supervisor from Paris Equipment, the team leader, and a welder will need help placing equipment in preparation for Saturday. So, we need people who are capable of lifting 50 lbs. and who are as passionate about making this happen as we are.

Perhaps you are planning on coming on Build Day, but wouldn't mind also giving of your time on the days prior to that. By all means, contact us to let us know. These prep days are crucial to making our Extreme Play Yard Makeover a success!

We need your help!!! Email acremanltbk@gmail.com or contact any committee member. Thank you!

Night Watch

Are you a night owl? Someone who has difficulty sleeping? Well, we have a job for you!!! We are looking for some people to do night watch at the school yard for the 3 nights leading up to the build day of September 29th. The playground equipment will be on site during that time (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night). We are hoping to get enough people to have shift changes every 3 or 4 hours and in groups of 2. That means no one has to stay awake ALL night! So, why not find a buddy and be a part of this amazing project! Contact us at acremanltbk@gmail.com or any committee member.

 

Tools and Materials

Here is a list of tools and materials we need for our Build Day.Interested in helping us gather these tools? If you are able to bring any of the items with you or even loan them to us, please contact Cathy Reid at 582-2644, or any other committee member.

1.    Tools/Materials Required For Playground

The following items are needed for Thursday/Friday only:

• String Line/Marking paint
• Primer Paint (for spraying welds when completed)
• 1 Heavy Duty Grinder/Metal Cutting Chop Saw (with cutting discs)
• 1 Sledge Hammer

The following items are needed for all 3 days (Thursday, Friday, & Saturday):

• 15 spades/shovels
• 1’/2’ Torpedo & 4’ Level
• 4 Tape Measures
• 6 Impact Driver
• 6 Cordless Drills
• Drill Bits – 21/64”, 5/32”, ¼”, 1/8” (2 of each)
• 20 Wheelbarrows
• 1 Generator
• 4-5 Wrench/Ratchets (common sizes ¾”, ½”, 9/16”, ¼”)
• Torx Bits (T45, T30, T55, T40, & T27)
• 3 Stepladders (8’ – 10’)
• 2 - 25’ long extension cords

The following is needed for Saturday only:

• 20 Rakes

2.    Tools/Materials Required For Soccer Field

• 10 wheelbarrows
• 15 rakes
• 15 shovels

3.    Tools/Materials Required For Outdoor Classroom

• 8 Hammers
• 6 Cordless drills
• 2 Skill saw
• 3 Level
• 2 Chop saw
• 1 Generator
• 2 Shovel
• 2 Rake
• 8 Paint brushes

4.    Tools/Materials Required For Peace Garden

• 10 Spades
• 10 Rakes
• 10 Wheelbarrows
• 10 Hoes
• 20 Pails/Buckets
• 20 Watering Cans
• 10 Sheers
• 6 garden hoses
• Any tools you like to use when gardening J

o   Gardening Gloves

o   Kneeling pads

o   Small gardening tools

5.    Tools/Materials Required For Labyrinth

• 150 medium sized slightly rounded rocks (See picture below)
• Garden gloves
• 2 wheelbarrows
• 1 pick

 

 

Introducing......"Ridgewood Park!"

After much thought and many discussions, we are pleased to say we have finally come to a decision regarding the naming of our park. "Ridgewood Park" seems fitting, not only because the playground will exist where Ridgewood Jr. High once did, but because it symbolizes so much more. Although Ridgewood closed and was torn down leaving many of us feeling empty and hopeless, it will now be replaced with joy and laughter; a place that will always remind us that dreams CAN come true! It is symbolic of the fact that no matter what adversity comes, or how bad the economic situation may get, there is always hope. There is always a means to rebuild. Ridgewood Park will represent rebirth on so many levels. We are excited! Aren't you? But wait....that's not all!!!

One of the criteria of the Let Them Be Kids Award is that the playground be dedicated to a hero/heroes from our communities. This hero should be someone who has made personal sacrifices which have made life better for us, our community, and our country. The hero could be a Member of the Military, a First Responder, or a community member who has made sacrifices and has gone above and beyond what was expected of him/her in community life. In dedicating our playground, we recognize this person's values, commitment and sacrifice. This person's actions provide direction in our lives and more importantly, in the lives of our children. They are an example of values we should all strive towards.

So....we are pleased to tell you that each aspect of our Playground Project will be dedicated in honor of the following heroes.

• The Playground area itself will be dedicated in honor of Dr. Fredrick Brett. As the only doctor here for many years, he was the first responder for the people of our communities. He was always available and responded whenever he was needed. His personal sacrifices certainly made life better for us.

• The Soccer Field will be dedicated in honor of Mr. Craig Shute, a former Acreman Phys. Ed. teacher, who suddenly passed away May 2010. Craig had a passion for youth and physical activity, and always went above and beyond the call of duty. The impact of his life will be felt in our communities for years to come.

• The Peace Garden will be dedicated to All Members of the Military from our 4 communities. Their service and sacrifice have allowed us the freedom we enjoy today. Lest we forget.

• The Outdoor Classroom will be dedicated to former Music teacher, Mrs. Cecilia Maulawin. In 1974, there was a shortage of music teachers, and Mrs. Maulawin decided to leave her home country (the Philippines) and move to Newfoundland in an attempt to make a better life for her and her family. While she taught music in the local schools for many years, she also taught private lessons and played in the local churches. Her community spirit and sacrifice are values we hope to pass on to our children.

More biographical information on our heroes coming soon!