The Murrieta Student Center has opened its new Peaceful Playground, reported Principal Mark Shalhoub. The playground, he said, was designed to encourage cooperation and promote problem-solving skills among students, as well as to support their emotional and social development.
The playground was created on what was formerly a parking area alongside the school; during recess games are managed by Assistant Classroom Educators (ACEs). One of the activities, for example, is a 4-corners game in which five students play. The game takes place in a square, with one student in each corner and the fifth in the middle. The person in the middle starts each round, and each student must move to a different corner. The one who does not get to a corner goes to the middle. Principal Shalhoub observed, “It makes them think about strategy, gives them good exercise, and when there is a dispute as to who got to the corner first, they have to work it out.”
The Murrieta Student Center staff created the new playground in response to requests from parents. The cost was $3,500, contributed by parents. Principal Shalhoub said, “We’ve had a great response to the new playground. The kids love it, the parents love it.”
