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Apr 24, 2023

Highlands Elementary School in Appleton to add accessible playground

APPLETON – Just after 11 a.m. Thursday, the halls of Highlands Elementary School

APPLETON – Just after 11 a.m. Thursday, the halls of Highlands Elementary School were lined with hundreds of smiling students chanting, "Thank you, John."

Teachers wiped tears from their eyes watching the students shower John Schuessler and Princess, his 8-pound Maltese, with gratitude for his $10,000 donation toward accessible playground equipment.

"I’m glad I made a bunch of smiling faces," he said.

Schuessler is the great-uncle of Lindsey Schrab, a student at Odyssey Magnet School, which is housed at Highlands. He heard about her raising money for the school's annual Fun Run and decided that he could help. Schrab was so eager to help raise money so her classmates would have what they need to play that she missed swimming lesson, according to her mom, Michelle Schrab.

For Schuessler, choosing to donate came down to one simple reason: "To help the kids." After spending more than two decades in the military, he said he's seen people live with injuries and disabilities, so this is one way he can help other people.

During his parade through the hallways, Schuessler made a point to meet some of the students who will benefit most from his donation and paused to let the little hands pet Princess; an experience he said was "incredible."

Each year, the students raise money through pledges and concessions for the Fun Run. It's used to purchase new equipment or items the school needs. Last year, they raised money to buy a new dome climber for the playground.

This year's Fun Run took place on May 18. A group of sixth grade students who sit on the Fun Run promotion committee, including Norah Mocco, Ethan Xiong and Cooper Coenen, made posters and slideshows to get students excited for the event.

This year, the school community agreed the money should be raised for accessible playground equipment.

Dana Coenen, a social emotional learning teacher and secretary of the parent teacher organization, said she has been inspired by the students' efforts to make the playground a space for all children to enjoy.

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Students with disabilities from across the Appleton Area School District are bussed to Highlands because it has resources to serve students with intellectual disabilities, Autism and emotional behavioral disabilities. It also serves early childhood students with varying disabilities.

The inside of the building has extra-wide hallways and an elevator to help students in wheelchairs and with walkers move freely, said Principal Kari Krueger. But the outside space isn't as inviting.

Krueger said the plan is to purchase spongy, rubber mats so wheelchair tires don't get stuck in the grass and climbing equipment specialized for students with low muscle tone. They’d also like to add a fenced-in space for the youngest kiddos to play safely with more manageable supervision.

Total cost is estimated to be between $60,000 and $80,000, Krueger said.

So far, they’ve raised $18,000, including the $10,000 from Schuessler. Krueger said funding the whole project will probably take a few years.

Krueger hopes at least some of the equipment can be added by next fall, but the timeline will depend on funding. As money is raised, the school will be able to add more of the equipment.

People who wish to donate to the project can donate online through a GoFundMe that Coenen set up. It can be found at gofundme.com/f/all-kids-can-play-accessible-playground-fund.

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Reach AnnMarie Hilton at [email protected] or 920-370-8045. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.