Healthier minds in healthy bodies

By Bridget Cook
STUDENTS and staff at Dandenong Valley School have welcomed the completion of a new playground, specifically designed for the students.
Immediate past principal Margaret Edmunds officially opened the playground on Saturday at the Narre Warren school.
Dandenong Valley School caters for children from Prep to Year 12 who have disabilities in the moderate to profound range.
The school had a sufficient playground for the older students, but the junior playground was not up to standard.
The school decided to upgrade the playground and fund the $600,000 project.
Dandenong Valley principal Sue Chernishoff said the playground was specifically designed to provide challenge in the safest possible environment.
“When our children have valuable play opportunities, the incidence of challenging behaviour can decrease,” she said.
“Our school community believes strongly in the provision of the very best in all things to our students, our services to families, our programs and now our play spaces are indicative of this.”
Ms Chernishoff said the children had used the playground and loved it.
“The sandpit is almost a metre deep, so little people can really dig,” she said.
“The interactive water feature is very popular.”
The junior playground was designed by Felicity Brown, from Mary Jeavons Landscape Architects, and the work was carried out by Ken Arnott, and his team, from Arcadia Landscapes.
Ms Chernishoff said she would like to thank Ms Edmunds and the school leadership team for their vision and foresight.