While home renovations are a common sight in Leaside, it’s rare to see schoolyards being renovated. But a schoolyard revitalization project is exactly what’s planned for Northlea Elementary and Middle School this coming summer.
Teresa Martin, the past co-chair of the Home and School Association, who is currently leading the communications and fundraising team for the project, explains that in 2022 the TDSB announced plans to replace the aging turf. That plan presented an opportunity for the association to collaborate with the school’s administrative team to incorporate more enhancements throughout the schoolyard. The group then worked with the staff “to identify what the community felt was missing and where the experience could be improved for the students.”
The result of the consultation is what the website terms “a transformational project” with “a brand-new turf field as well as a more inclusive outdoor space for imaginative play and outdoor learning that will benefit our entire community for years to come.”
More specifically, with the planting of eight new trees, there will be a new green canopy to provide shade and cooling. Alongside the new trees, there will be new seating to provide “dynamic outdoor classroom opportunities.” New additions are a triple-hoop basketball court and funnel baskets along with a multi-use sport court with configurations for volleyball, badminton and pickleball. Other changes are an expanded running space with dedicated track lines and a children’s garden with a pergola, harvest table and stock planters.
Physical education teacher John Ellis says that the renovated schoolyard will be a “field of dreams” for the community with the changes to the field making it more “inclusive for kids of all ages to allow their imaginations to run wild with a variety of activities” like volleyball, tennis, ball hockey and pickleball.
Construction is slated to begin this coming June, with hopes that most of the improvements will be completed in three months. While the board will be funding the new turf and trees, Teresa says that “all the extras such as the sport court, basketball nets, garden and seating areas required the Home and School Association to set a fundraising goal of $123,000. She adds that their successful Spring Fling fair and other initiatives like their monthly pizza lunch, a bingo night and dance-a-thon have helped them to reach the goal. These activities have had the added benefit of bringing the whole school together in a “massive team effort.”
In the fall of 2024, however, the team found they were still about $60,000 short of their goal and decided to take a “direct ask” approach, reaching out to the school community, alumni, businesses and private individuals. The website explains the donation program saying that any amount is appreciated and tax deductible. But they also plan to produce a permanent plaque honouring donors of $500 or more, along with “Thank You” ads in Leaside Life for larger donations and sponsorship recognition for Spring Fling 2025 for amounts of $10,000 and up. As of early February, another $30,000 to $35,000 was still required.
Principal Suzy Papadopoulos provides a fitting summary: “Northlea is a beautiful school community where home and school work together in a genuine partnership to help students learn and grow. We are very excited about the upcoming revitalized schoolyard, which will improve outdoor learning for our 750 students.”
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/northleaschoolyard.
