EAST CHICAGO – As the new school year approached, staffers, students and parents of St. Stanislaus School celebrated the opening of its new playground on Aug. 11 with a special blessing by Msgr. John Siekierski, parish administrator, and an official ribbon cutting – followed by some playtime and popsicle treats.
Angelica Foy, principal of St. Stanislaus, welcomed the Falcon family by stating it was a momentous occasion and one the school had been eagerly awaiting for many years and now proudly embraces.
“The journey to this day has been marked by countless acts of kindness, shared visions and a shared determination to create a safe and fun environment for our students,” she said. “Our students, the heartbeat of our institution, are beyond thrilled.”
Foy continued to describe the space as an area where students will make cherished memories, build friendships and walk through the spirit of teamwork and fellowship.
She added the school owes gratitude to a number of generous donors that includes the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana and Foundations of East Chicago. She also thanked the Diocese of Gary for its support and James Zmuda of EAZ Technical Solutions, LLC for helping to oversee the development of the property.
“Together our partners have breathed life into this dream and have paved the way for endless possibilities for our students,” Foy said.
School business manager Grace Delli Colli acknowledged the project was overdue. She is glad the youngsters will now have an opportunity to play and have fun in a safe and enclosed environment. Delli Colli said they “made do” using a nearby paved lot for recess but said the school’s first playground is a nice and welcome addition to the school campus.
“I’m excited and so happy for our kids and our community,” she said.
Parent Angela Lopez, of East Chicago, shared that after some years of her son Jonathan attending public school, the family decided to make a change, and he is now enrolled as a sixth grader at St. Stanislaus. Being his first year at the school, they came to the ribbon cutting event to show support for his new academic home.
“It definitely feels like it’s more of a community-based type school,” she said.
Lopez is excited for her son to be a part of the school and added he has already expressed that he enjoys it there.
“We couldn’t ask for anything better, honestly,” she said.
Dan Kozlowski, managing director for Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana, recalled being taken outside and shown where the kids played during the first visit to the school by representatives of Big Shoulders. He described the space as a back area along an alleyway that was fenced in but had no playground equipment.
“We knew pretty quickly that that could not continue,” he explained. “But it took a little while to get the project off the ground. When we started thinking about this project, we also started to think about other schools as well that might not have playground equipment.”
Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana also reached out to four other diocesan schools that did not have designated playground areas, and those projects are either completed or will be completed soon. With the organization’s assistance, new playgrounds were also, or will soon be, installed at St. Casimir in Hammond, St John the Baptist in Whiting, St. John Bosco in Hammond and Aquinas Catholic Community in Merrillville.
“Once we saw where the kids were playing, specifically at this school, we knew we had to lead,” he said. “It was good that we could all come together and envision what this could look like and, thankfully, they had the space to do it.”
Many students approved of the newly created space as they tested out the new equipment that evening, including Ava Flores, a fifth grader. “It’s going to be exciting because we can play over here now and have some fun,” said Flores.
Caption: Angelica Foy, principal of St. Stanislaus School in East Chicago, with the help of staff, students and donors, cuts a ribbon on Aug. 11 signifying the opening of a new playground on the school grounds. (Erin Ciszczon photo)
