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School Is Serious About Playtime

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

DOVER - For the youngsters at Willis Peters Exceptional Center, playtime is running around an open grassy field or bowling with plastic pins in a school corridor.

The severely physically and mentally disabled students from Dover, Brandon, Valrico, Seffner and Plant City tend to live a sedentary lifestyle, said Principal Marie Caracciola. Giving them a new playground with all the bells and whistles will give them new ways to have fun and get the exercise they need to get and stay fit, she said.

A matching grant from the Hillsborough County School District and an in-kind donation of cement for the playground base is all that is needed for the playground to become a done deal.

Officials at the school, on the same campus as Dover Elementary, have applied for the grant and hope someone will step up to donate the cement.

Once the playground is built, it will include a power pedaler, an inclined spider climber, a sight-and-sound interactive panel, a sloped climbing wall, a "Flippopotamus Slide" and more. Students also will be able to ride in their wheelchairs on a rubber-coated surface.

Fundraising for the playground has been under way for about three years, said Peggy Ferro, Willis Peters' administrator.

"We wanted to mimic Gilchrest Park in Plant City, which is all handicapped-accessible. We decided to shoot for the moon," Ferro said. "And we're just about there."
Sunshine State Savings & Loan in Plant City kicked in $25,000, and Mark Poppell of Poppell Insurance in Plant City, whose child attends Willis Peters, offered his business expertise. Coach Bert Gideons of Tomlin Middle School in Plant City raised $1,200 by promising to shave his head in exchange for donations. And Math Night at Bryan Elementary, also in Plant City, raised $1,800 from food sales.

"A lot of it has been word of mouth," Ferro said. "Most of it is not coming in large increments, but it's been a great community effort. A lot of these people don't even know us, but they're working hard for our school."

Many of the 120 students who attend Willis Peters have pitched in, too, to help pay for the $200,000 "boundless playground." They teamed up with students from Berkeley Preparatory School in Town 'N Country to create art, which was sold last week at a silent auction. The one-of-a-kind pieces brought in about $3,000.

Every school in District Six, which includes eastern Hillsborough County, held fundraisers called Hats On for Willis Peters. Students paid $1 each for the privilege of wearing hats during the school day.

Kimball Weatherington, owner of Weatherington Tractor Services in Plant City, has offered to do the grading for the project at no cost.

ABOUT THE CENTER

WHAT: Willis Peters' 120 students in kindergarten through 12th grade include mentally and physically disabled students who are able to attend school, including the visually impaired, medically fragile, deaf and blind.

PRINCIPAL: Marie Caracciola

WHERE: 3035 Nelson Ave., Dover

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

SCHOOL VISION: Each student's quality of life will be enhanced through functional academics and vocational successes in reading, writing, and mathematics.

SCHOOL MISSION: We will provide each student with purposeful academic and vocational experiences within the school and community environment. Faculty, parents and community personnel will work together in order to challenge the pupils to reach their fullest potential in these areas. This will be achieved by using motivational teaching techniques.

CALL: (813) 757-9462

Source: Hillsborough County public schools

ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND

The Willis Peters Exceptional Center is raising money to build a playground that will accommodate its students. The area will include a power pedaler, inclined spider climber, a sight-and-sound interactive panel, sloped climbing wall and "Flippopotamus Slide."

Students will be able to ride in their wheelchairs on a rubber-coated surface.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or at yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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