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School playground project celebrated

Students at A.J. McLellan Elementary in Cloverdale will no longer have to play in shifts, thanks to successful playground campaign.
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Donors (top row) and students (bottom row) at the ribbon cutting ceremony May 22 for the new playground expansion at A.J. McLellan Elementary are joined by Surrey board of education chair Laurae McNally (top row

The new playground structure at A.J. McLellan Elementary is only a few weeks old, and already the spinners and bucket swings are a hit.

And best of all, separate playtimes for students in junior and senior grades are a thing of the past, thanks to a successful

community playground fundraising campaign launched two years ago by the school’s Parent Advisory Council.

The school’s student population had grown from 250 to over 500 in a decade, resulting in an eight-classroom expansion several years ago.

The old playground, popular with neighbours and community groups, wasn’t up to the task in terms of safety or size.

The west Cloverdale school at 16545 61 Ave. is in a booming residential area with hundreds of new townhomes being built.

School principal Jas Atwal says enrolment is projected to climb to 550 in the nest few years.

The playground campaign collected $165,000 through PAC events, donations from businesses and individuals, plus a large contribution from the City of Surrey.

The result is a safe, expanded playground to be proud of that will help serve the community for years to come, Atwal said, expressing thanks to everyone who supported the project financially or through volunteer hours at events and during installation.

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