The schoolyard at the N.E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center, near our fraternity row on Wentworth Street, is my special haven on campus. I have spent so many happy and memorable times there over the years, chatting with coworkers and playing with children.
The schoolyard itself has evolved so much since I first spent time there as an undergrad in 1986. Then it was all sand, with a few pieces of playground equipment and one lonely mulberry tree. Now, it’s adorned with beautiful birch trees, oaks and maples (the mulberry tree is still there, too!) – and so many more things to explore, like a sound garden, an archaeological dig site and a rain barrel–watering system. It’s also the first school- yard that the Arbor Day Foundation and the Dimensions Education Research Foundation has certified as a Nature Explore Classroom in the state and one of only about 100 in the nation.
There are plenty of shady places to escape the sun when it’s sweltering, and places to warm up when it’s cold. The main beauty of our playground, though, is that it’s a place to escape the hectic classroom and workplace. It’s a place of fun and relaxation where adults and children alike can be loud, active and enjoy the outdoors. As I know and have seen firsthand, folks are rarely in a bad mood for long on a playground.
Though the landscape and play equipment at ECDC have changed so much over time, the laughter and joyful noise of children playing still remain unchanged. The playground will continue to be my haven, creating many more fond memories for years to come.
– Phyllis Nickas Gates ’88 (M.A.T. ’90)
Gates is a master teacher at the N.E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center and began her teaching career there in 1992.
