Superintendent's Message

 
 
Dear CSD Students, Parents, and Community Members,
 
I hope this message finds you well as we transition into the Fall season. As the leaves begin to change their colors, you may notice some excitement brewing at the elementary school playgrounds as we start new projects and have additional equipment on campus.
 
Excavation began last week and we are “officially” underway transforming our outdoor play space as we prepare to breathe new life into our CES playground. Unfortunately, during this time parts of the playground will be "off-limits" as we begin the crucial excavation phase for our brand-new playground equipment. It's an exhilarating moment for all of us and the students are enjoying watching the process unfold right in front of them. As a reminder, the CES playground update is the final project from the 2017 School Bond and we thank you for your continued support of our schools! Our commitment to providing the best for our students and community remains unwavering, and we can't wait to unveil the fantastic new playground spaces.
 
By the time you read this newsletter, the excavation phase of the project will be complete. You may notice that to accommodate some of the future playground equipment, we were required to widen the footprint of some of the play structure areas to ensure there's enough space for all the fun to come! Following the excavation, we will add curbing and additional cement to the 4th and 5th grade playground side. All the above is done to provide a long-term solution to some areas we have identified in the past in need of a remodel. Our goal is to continue providing a safe and nurturing space for all students and we believe that with the addition of the two large play structures, we will provide a space that all our Coyotes will enjoy for many years to come.

The installation of the equipment itself is scheduled to begin the week of October 23rd. It is our hope to have the equipment installed within a one to two week period of time. The final touch will be the ground cover to conclude the project. Once the Fibar (wood engineered bark) is installed, we will be ready to open our playground areas back up to our students and community.

We understand that the construction process may disrupt our usual recess routines, and for that, we apologize for any inconvenience. Rest assured, this is a necessary step in our journey to create a playground space we all can be proud of for our students. During the construction period, these areas will remain off-limits to students for their safety until the new equipment and ground cover are securely in place. Our goal is to have everything completed by early to mid-November. We're working diligently to meet this target and appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.

If you have any questions or require additional details about the project, please don't hesitate to contact the District Office. We're here to address your concerns and keep you informed every step of the way. In Closing, we want to express our gratitude for your ongoing support and patience as we embark on this exciting journey of playground transformation.
 
Thank you for being an integral part of the Columbia School District family. Together, we're shaping the future of our students.

Go Coyotes!

Todd Hilberg,
Superintendent