Students at Our Mother of Consolation (OMC) Parish School have gotten pretty creative during recess over the years.

Without a playground, the kids improvise and use their imaginations — playing games on the pavement, throwing balls that bounce into the street, and even using traffic cones as play equipment. It isn’t abnormal to find mulch trailed through the halls of OMC or to have a student sent to the school nurse with a scraped knee.

Desiree Disney, vice principal of OMC, believes there’s a missing piece to recess time.

“I feel like if anybody were to just walk by during recess one day, they would probably say, ‘These kids need a playground,’” Disney told the Local.

After several false starts — the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and a devastating fire in 2023 — OMC is now moving forward with plans to build a playground for students.

‘Icing on top of the cake’

This academic year marks the first full year for OMC in a redesigned building after an electrical fire on March 21, 2023, severely damaged the school. Students spent over two years in temporary classrooms at Chestnut Hill College before being welcomed back last September.

According to Niamh Harbour, a fourth grade student at OMC, the modernized building has added excitement to the school year.

“I think it’s really cool to be in a new building. …You get more space and get to play around,” Harbour said. “I like the paintings on the wall that inspire people.”

New technology such as Chromebooks and smart boards, new lockers, and a new cafeteria are just some of the additions that have enhanced the OMC experience, according to Chandra Wroblewski, director of advancement.

For Amy Gugger, president of OMC’s Home and School Association, adding a playground would be “life-changing.”

“The playground is like the final icing on top of the cake to say, ‘We are here. This is home,’” Gugger said.

A beneficial addition

When offering tours of OMC to prospective families, Wroblewski said one of the first questions asked is “Where is the playground?” Now, having an answer to that question will not only make OMC a more attractive potential school for incoming students, but it also will improve current students’ experiences, she said.

“As a kid, my most vivid memories are on the playground,” Wroblewski reflected. “It’s what I looked forward to when it was a tough day. It’s something for the kids to make their day easier. … I can’t wait to hear my daughter’s stories about being on it.”

Disney agrees that playgrounds can have innumerable benefits for children, such as developing gross motor skills and releasing energy after a long day indoors.

Meanwhile, Harbour already has a use in mind for the playground.

“Some kids in my class and third grade want to play family … and they want a home,” Harbour said. “The playground could be … their spot. I imagine in my head everyone having fun.”

‘A Golden Night’

A committee of administrators and parents is currently working on fundraising for the playground, which they hope will be installed by the end of the summer.

On March 21, OMC is hosting a fundraiser at Flourtown Country Club called “A Golden Night,” an evening that will include dinner, music, and silent and live auctions.

The event “is on the three-year anniversary of the fire,” Gugger said. “So it’s going to be a very rewarding night for us all to be together in the wake of that, to realize how far we’ve come over those three years, and to just celebrate.”

Over 100 organizations and businesses have donated in support of the event, either through sponsorship or auction donations.

“The Chestnut Hill community is so supportive,” Wroblewski said. “It’s what makes the event a success. For a small school, even if it’s not a playground, the small wins we have every year like new programs we want to get established — it’s all the support of the community.”

To learn more about “A Golden Night,” contact Amy Gugger or Chandra Wroblewski at amylgugger@gmail.com or chandrawski@gmail.com.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.