Sherwood Elementary School needs to sell 200 tickets to fundraiser to kick in matching U.S. dollarsPublished Apr 20, 2025 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 5 minute readBethany Robinson, right, the vice-president of the Sherwood Home and School Federation, said the existing playground has to come down right after the current school year because of the demolition of the old school. The school needs to sell another 200 tickets to a May 2 fundraiser at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown by April 22 in order for a new $500,000 playground to be built. Dave Stewart The GuardianChildren at the new Sherwood Elementary School are facing the real possibility they may not have a playground come September.Efforts to fundraise for the new equipment have already begun through ticket sales to a May 2 event at Charlottetown’s Eastlink Centre. But the fundraising committee needs to sell 200 more tickets by April 22 or it loses out on a grant that would cover half the costs and ensure work is begun before the new school year.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentRecommended from Editorial New Sherwood Elementary in Charlottetown offers lots of space to learn Emotions run high at soon-to-close Charlottetown elementary school Construction of fully-electric Sherwood school begins with goal of net-zero emissions “We’re at rock bottom and if we don’t sell tickets then we don’t succeed and we don’t have a playground,” Bethany Robinson, vice-president of the Sherwood Home and School told The Guardian in an interview at the school on April 16. Brynnlee Robinson, left, and Sadie Gallant, right, students at Sherwood Elementary School, were helping Sam Gallant, a mother of students at the school, sell tickets to the May 2 fundraiser at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown for a new playground for the school. The trio were selling tickets during an open house at the new school on April 16. Dave Stewart The GuardianP.E.I.’s first net-zero ready school has been open about a month. The 82,000-square-foot building that replaces the original school built in the 1960s was built adjacent to the old school on the corner of Maple Avenue and Pine Street in Charlottetown. Government funding paid for the new school, but it is up to parents and the community to come up with most of the money to pay for a new playground.The old school will be demolished when the year is over in June and the project will involve knocking down the current playground. The property the old school sits on now will be turned into the new parking lot.Article contentThe old playground equipment has to go.Crunch timeApril 22 is the deadline to apply for a U.S.-funded matching grant. The playground committee has already raised more than $100,000 so far but needs twice that to qualify for the grant. The total cost of the new playground is $500,000.The committee expects the remaining funds will come from a $25,000 matching grant from the Public Schools Branch (a total of $50,000 will be approved this year) as well as some in-kind sponsorships to help cover the cost of the actual install.“We’re at rock bottom and if we don’t sell tickets then we don’t succeed and we don’t have a playground.” Bethany RobinsonThe playground committee is hoping this one big fundraiser on May 2 — an entertainment event featuring comedian Patrick Ledwell and music by local performers like Lawrence Maxwell — will raise most of what they need.Annie Lougheed, a parent of students at Sherwood and a member of the playground committee, said the matching U.S. funds is a huge part of the fundraiser.“There is a benefit here because it means we don’t have to fundraise for the next several years and continue asking the community for their financial support. So we’re going all out now so we get a playground install this fall,” Lougheed said.Article contentIf the committee fails to reach its April 22 goal, the May 2 fundraiser will be cancelled and the students will not have a playground when the 2025-26 school year begins. Eastlink Centre would refund money for tickets sold so far. “This fall is our goal (to have some of the playground ready) so that the children have somewhere to play when they come back to school in September,” Lougheed said.Katie Beck, a Grade 3 teacher and parent of children at the school, said the committee is feeling the pressure.“We are kind of between a rock and a hard place,” Beck said. “If we come back to school without any play structures or anything for the children, they will be a little bit lost when they’re outside.”Healthy childrenRobinson added the playground structure is not just used by students going to the school but by the neighbourhood.“This is so much more than just about the school,” Robinson said.Lougheed said it is vital students have this playground.“There is a ton of research that co-relates to greater academic success, stronger mental health, happy children with strong emotional skills who are able to make friendships and problem solve out on the playground where the really important things happen,” Lougheed said. “If we take it away and don’t replace it with anything, I am certain as a parent I will see that in my kids after school.”Article content Sherwood Elementary School is fundraising for a new playground, which is planned for the site where the old school currently sits. Sherwood home and school is selling tickets to a May 2 event. The new school is on the right in blue. The new, larger playground will be built close to where the existing one is.If the committee is successful and sells 200 tickets by April 22, the goal is to sell another 1,000 to 1,500 tickets for the May 2 event.Community supportParents attending an open house at the new school on April 16 were very keen to see the new playground come to fruition in time for the fall.“It is extremely important,” Zachery Edmond said. “We’ve got a huge community behind everybody because the kids have not had that space since (construction) of this school started.”David Waddell and his wife, Paulette, also want to see it happen.“We have grandkids coming here and we bought a table (at the May 2 fundraiser),” David said.“All of our kids went to this school, too,” Paulette said.Making friendsStudents at the school open house also offered an opinion.“It means a lot,” said Beckett Matheson, a Grade 5 student. “A bunch of kids in the neighbourhood also need this playground to play. There are a lot of playgrounds around this one but this one is the most meaningful because it is our school playground.”Article contentDaisy Beck said she has made a lot of friends on the playground.“I want to make more friends,” Daisy said, adding that the monkey bars and the slide are her favourites. “If there isn’t a playground, I can’t really make new friends.”Sadie Gallant said the new playground needs to be bigger than the existing one.“I think we need a new playground, a bigger playground because we have a brand-new school and more people are going to come.”IF YOU GOFollowing is information on the May 2 fundraiser held by Sherwood Elementary School at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown: Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. It ends at 1 a.m. Restricted to those 19 years of age and over. Parkdale-Sherwood Lions Club is handling bar sales. The night is hosted by Patrick Ledwell with entertainment by Lawrence Maxwell, Brooke MacArthur, Vintage 2.0 and more. Tickets are $40 each or a table for eight for $350. Contact the Eastlink Centre for tickets. For more information, search “Play on, Sherwood! A night of sounds and support” on Facebook.Article content
New P.E.I. school in danger of losing out on playground funding
