To Dr. McDermott and Members of the Board of Education:

We, the undersigned, as parents of Norwood students and/or members of the Norwood community, respectfully request your immediate attention to the upgrading of the playground facilities at our school. This is an item of significant importance to us as the annual budget is deliberated.

The “big” playground unit at Norwood is nearly 10 years old; it was state of the art at the time. While it has received several safety updates over the years, it is outdated and no longer comparable to the newer playground pieces at the other five elementary schools in our District. In addition, the swings and see-saws which are not part of the big unit have been completely removed for infestation damage and violations of the current safety code (there is a current plan for replacement of some of these pieces for this spring). The date of the last upgrade to the “little” playground at Norwood is unknown, even in our collective historical memory, which means it’s been around 10 years as well. The overgrown brush surrounding the playgrounds is also in desperate need of attention.

For the safety and enjoyment of our children, and in the name of equity and parity for and among the elementary schools, we request the allocation of funds from the existing 2013-14 budget and/or the 2014-15 budget to upgrade Norwood’s playgrounds. In much the same way both short-term and long-term planning have been used for the renovations to the auditoriums and playing fields at the middle and high schools, the playgrounds at all of the elementary schools must be given their due.

Thank you for your attention and consideration.