With safety in mind, school is raising money for new playground

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent

Children love to play and Trinity Catholic Academy in Southbridge plans to help them do so more safely.

Students in the school for children in grades pre-K through eight play during recess and sometimes in gym class in the school parking lots. Students have run into nearby parked cars and when people visiting the parish center drive by during recess, students must rush to the side of the school to allow them to pass.

There is no playground equipment so the children entertain themselves by throwing balls and running around on the pavement of the lower lot or crushed stone of the upper lot. Falls, skinned elbows and scraped knees are not uncommon.

“It’s tough for the kids,” Trinity Catholic Academy principal Angela Symock said. “There are slips and falls and it’s a small space for a lot of children.”

So the school is raising money to build a playground on part of the upper parking lot that is shared with St. Mary Church of the St. John Paul II Parish. An online fundraising campaign called Network for Good was launched on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, and so far more than 70 supporters have donated more than $63,000.

Mrs. Symock said Soper Construction Company, whose ownership had grandchildren attend the school, has agreed to be the contractor for the playground project and will donate the cost of the labor. About $100,000 must be raised for materials before leveling and preparing the land for the playground can begin.

Brian Cournoyer, 44, of Charlton, is chair of the playground committee and has been president of the Trinity Catholic PTO for the past six years. He estimated the cost of the entire project, including playground equipment, will be about $160,000 to $165,000. If ledge must be removed to make way for the playground, the cost will increase.

Mrs. Symock said if construction begins next spring and enough money is raised to pay for the equipment, the playground could open as soon as the fall of 2025. It could take another year, however.

Mrs. Symock said she and Mr. Cournoyer plan to reach out to local businesses for donations.
Whenever it opens, the playground will be a welcomed addition to the school.

“That’s kind of been our slogan – a safe place to play,” Mrs. Symock said. “Safety obviously is the biggest issue, not having the kids playing in a parking lot, but also building community and the health benefits for children.”

Mrs. Symock remembers taking part in discussions at school about building a playground at least 15 years ago when she was a teacher at the school. After she became principal three years ago, a group of parents informed her that some people won’t consider sending their children to Trinity Catholic because the school lacked a safe place to play. A school building had been torn down, providing more space for a playground. Father Kenneth R. Cardinale, who was pastor at St. John Paul II at the time, gave his blessing to the fundraiser. Father Carlos F. Ardila, who became pastor in July of 2023, also backs the project.

Trinity Catholic has 138 students, 19 more than when Mrs. Symock became principal. Fifth grade has the most students, 19, which is one less than capacity.

Students in kindergarten through third take recess in the upper parking lot with crushed stone. Students in grades five through eight have recess in the lower, paved parking lot. All students will have access to the new playground.

Plans for the fenced-in playground include construction of a basketball half court with a hopscotch diagram, slides, benches, picnic tables and a gaga pit for gaga ball, a game similar to dodgeball in which players try to eliminate each other by hitting them in the legs with a ball. Swings and other playground equipment could also be built if enough money is raised.  

The plan is to call the playground, “Bobcat Park,” because Trinity Catholic’s sports mascot is a bobcat, but Mrs. Symock said that could change if a donor is interested in purchasing the naming rights.

The Hyde-Dexter Charitable Foundation has made donations of $5,000 and $15,000, the latter being the largest donation so far, and has pledged to give $105,000 over four years, according to Mr. Cournoyer. The Hyde family has grandchildren attending the school. Hanover Insurance Co. has donated $10,000.

After Mr. Cournoyer’s father, Lionel, died at age 80 on Aug. 14, in lieu of flowers the family asked for donations to be made to the playground. More than $500 has been donated so far.  
Mr. Cournoyer said a plaque is planned to be erected at the playground with the names of major donors.

Mr. Cournoyer and his wife, Missy, both attended Trinity Catholic. Their son, Zachary, graduated from the school in 2020 and is now a freshman at Assumption University. Their son, Lucas, is in the eighth grade at Trinity.

“They go above and beyond,” Mr. Cournoyer said of Trinity Catholic staffers. “Yes, it’s a Catholic school, but it’s so much more. They teach you morals, they teach you values, they teach you time management, they teach you at the end of the day how to be a good human and they position the kids so when they go off to their next adventure, they are well positioned to do extremely well.”

Mr. Cournoyer said his children often told him they wished the school had a playground.
“One of our teachers has a dented car because of kids running into it,” Mr. Cournoyer said. “No one got hurt, thankfully. They deserve a safe place to play where they’re not dodging cars.”

When cars approach or leave the parking lot during recess to visit the parish center or food pantry, students line up against the side of the school while a temporary fence is opened and closed to allow the cars in or out. A video on the school’s website shows that the process can take 7-½ minutes out of a 20-minute recess.

Mr. Cournoyer said the playground will be open to the public at times for basketball tournaments and other community outreach events.

UMass Memorial-Harrington Hospital has agreed to allow the school to level some of its adjacent property to reduce the need for retaining walls.

– To donate to the Bobcat Park playground project, visit trinitycatholicacademy.org and click on the paw print or send a check to Trinity Catholic Academy, 11 Pine St. Southbridge, MA, 01550, and write playground on the check.