Cora Kelly Community Cuts Ribbon on Impressive New Playground

Cora Kelly School officially unveiled its new playground on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by school, city and state officials.

The impressive new climbing area opened for play a few weeks ago, but Wednesday was an occasion to commemorate the hard work of the school’s PTA and other groups and individuals that assisted with the project.

“This has been a community-wide effort,” Alexandria Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg said. “It’s a demonstration of civic engagement at its best.”

The school community began site prep for the new playground in late 2011 after receiving a $60,000 grant from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. The project also won a $2,500 grant from Mott's and NFL PLAY 60 through the KaBOOM! Play Day competition.

The school’s PTA raised an additional $10,200 (the program for Wednesday’s ceremony listed more than 40 donors, including many Alexandria businesses and former Alexandria school board chair Sheryl Gorsuch) to replace what was an outdated play area designed for physical education drills instead of play.

“I thought it looked like a Russian gulag,” said Ashley Chappell, a member of the Cora Kelly PTA.

The project then stalled after the new playground was initially constructed off school grounds in Four Mile Run Park.

Alexandria City Council allocated $110,000 to the school in December 2012 for exterior play areas to complete construction. Work got underway once the weather warmed up.

On Wednesday, it received its official reveal and rave reviews from everyone in attendance.

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Morton Sherman said it is a playground the students at Cora Kelly—who have excelled on standardized math tests thank to the school’s STEM curriculum—"truly deserve."  

“I will get a workout this weekend here with my grandchildren,” Sherman said. 

Two swing sets on either side of the play area remain without swings. They’re expected to arrive soon, Principal Brandon Davis said.

“If you’re able, I encourage everyone to climb to the top to see what its like,” Davis said. “I’ve done that. I’ve tried everything myself.”

Located behind the Cora Kelly School and Recreation Center complex (3600 Commonwealth Ave.), the playground can be accessed by walking around the south end of building or from West Reed Avenue in the Hume Springs neighborhood.

The playground has signs noting the recommended age requirement for each apparatus. 

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