For Immediate Release

Friday, Sept. 27, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway Public Schools Officially Welcomes Students to New Playgrounds at Burke-Memorial, McGovern Schools

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that students were officially welcomed to the new playgrounds at Burke-Memorial and McGovern elementary schools after ribbon cutting ceremonies on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 19, respectively.

Superintendent Armand Pires, Chair of the Medway School Committee Susan Dietrich and Chair of the Medway Board of Selectmen John Foresto spoke during the ceremonies. Parents and students were welcomed to each playground by Burke-Memorial Principal Amanda Luizzi and McGovern Principal Amy McDonald.

Principals Luizzi and McDonald, Dietrich and Superintendent Pires each thanked Medway residents for their support of the projects. The Medway Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (MEPTO), Medway Extended Day (MEDI), Medway’s facilities staff, Medway Department of Public Works, Board of Selectmen, Capital Improvement Committee, Community Preservation Committee and Town Manager Michael Boynton were each recognized for their work to plan for the projects and secure funding.

Andy Berger of M.E. O’Brien and Sons was recognized for his work in the planning and design of each project. The playgrounds were designed and built by the Medway-based outdoor equipment supplier over the summer.

Dietrich also discussed how an investment in playground equipment is beneficial for young students.

“On behalf of the school committee, I want to extend my thanks for the tremendous outpouring of support that has come from the community,” Dietrich said at McGovern’s ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday. “Everyone thought about putting the kids’ needs first and that’s a priority for the school committee as well. We believe, as a town and as a community, in whole-child wellness and how the interactions and imagination that take place during play contribute to wellness.”

Foresto spoke of the time and dedication that went into getting the funding for the playgrounds. Both playgrounds were paid for in part by generous donations from MEPTO and MEDI. The rest of the funds were approved at Town Meeting in May.

“This is a culmination of a few years of effort,” Foresto said Thursday. “Funding for things like this don’t happen easily. A lot of people put the funding together to make this happen. The town came together and the PTO came together. We don’t see people get together to fund something of this size, and it’s great to see it happen.”

Superintendent Pires also recognized the playground committee members including: School Committee members Jeff Segarra and Cindy Sullivan, Principals Luizzi and McDonald and Board of Selectmen member Glenn Trindade, who helped to identify what the playgrounds would eventually look like and how they would be funded. He also thanked parent members Tiffany Dunguay, Barbara Holmes, Nicole LaRochelle-Booth and Lisa Graceffa who represented Medway parents and the PTO.

“We are so excited to officially open the playground here at McGovern School and we’re thankful to the families who brought out all of our wonderful students to come and play here this afternoon,” Superintendent Pires said Thursday. “This will provide our McGovern Elementary School students, which number more than 350, with the opportunity every day to explore, imagine and play.”

Following each school’s ceremony, students and families tried out the new playgrounds.

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