By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Jemison Elementary School has built a new playground for its preschool program.

The playground was purchased using funds from the same grant that established the First Class Pre-K program at the school, according to Assistant Principal Meghan Owens.

When the program first started, the children did not have a play area of their own. They could not use the school’s other playground because the equipment was too large, according to Owens.

Since October, the students have had a fun place of their own. Only the preschool students use the new playground. This is because the equipment is designed specifically for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years.

“Everything is age appropriate developmentally,” Owens said. “The kids were very excited. They were itching to get out there. A lot of the things that we chose to go out there, they promote balance or teamwork and different things that need to be developed at that age.”

The children typically spend an hour each day on the playground, where they bang on drums, climb the slide and play in the sand.

According to Owens, many local businesses donated funds and materials to offset the cost of building the playground. Southern Oak Construction donated the concrete work and Shelby Concrete donated the concrete for the project.