Sergey Kadinsky
Written Works
Maspeth Students Redesign Their Schoolyard
October 2008
This feature piece was submitted to the Queens Tribune.
Student Anthony Cuocco, 13; Allison Suquitana, 12; principal Patricia Reynolds
The playground of the IS 73 Frank Sansivieri middle school in Maspeth was once an anonymous asphalt lot, offering few options to the students, aside from basketball and handball. The only touches of green were grassy cracks in the blacktop and ailanthus weeds on the periphery. Responding to the community’s need for more parkland, the Trust for Public Land facilitated the transformation of the schoolyard in an inclusive process where the students produced a lasting impact.
The process began when IS 73 principal Patricia Reynolds met with the Trust for Public land to agree on the guidelines for the playground. “We were asked about how we would use the playground,” said assistant principal Gail Elefther-Jerez, referring to its educational aspect, which would include outdoor classroom areas, signs describing plant life, and a map painted on the asphalt. Between the two class areas, a small forest was included, at the request of the students.
An additional educational component is the participatory design process, where three classes were selected to design an ideal schoolyard together with the architects. With input from other students and the larger community, the designs were gradually refined based on the input and city regulations.
“We explain to the students what we can and cannot do,” said Maddalena Poletta facilitated dialogue between the trust, the students, and the architects. “The kids are actually realistic for coming up with what they want. This is their design.”
The Trust for Public Land is best known for purchasing undeveloped areas and preserving them in their natural state. In dense urban neighborhoods, the organization’s plan is to work with existing properties. “The biggest needs are in the dense neighborhoods. There’s not much vacant land for new parks. These were vacant asphalt schoolyards, “ said Andy Stone, director of the Parks for People- New York City program at the Trust for Public Land.
An example of the participatory method involved the sports chosen for the playground. “We took a survey of what most kids like to do during lunch or in the morning,” said student Jude Chau, 13. “Most people would hang out in the middle playing basketball or handball, so we decided to keep the basketball courts, and for the younger people, a jungle gym.” Chau described the outdoor classrooms as a “new experience. “A science experiment can now be done outside. It would be fun to the students,” Chau said.
While Chau’s class worked on the playground’s design, another class worked o mosaics for the playground’s wall, in partnership with artist Mauricio Trenard from the Groundswell organization. “The project took six weeks and we’re proud. This is the best,” said eights-grade student Jason Orellana, 12, pointing to one of the four season-themed mosaics. During our interview, his classmates also expressed pride at being able to show their work to their families.
Prominent alumni at the Sept. 25 ribbon cutting included Assemblywoman Marge Markey and Maspeth Town Hall president Eileen Hagan. State Senator Serf Maltese also attended. “My wife went to this school,” said Maltese. The senator contributed to the celebration by announcing a $500,000 grant for smart board technology for schools in his district.
A sizable part of the funding for the $1 million project came from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The transformative project is part of a larger initiative by the trust and the city to ultimately transform 290 schoolyards around the city into public playgrounds.