After nearly a decade of anticipation, Volney Elementary School in Fulton officially opened its new playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The celebration came at the end of the first week of the 2026-2027 school year.

For Building Principal Elizabeth Stoddard, the new playground represents the culmination of a vision she has championed throughout her seven years of leadership at Volney.

“It has been very exciting to see something the students and staff asked for and provided voice on finally come alive,” Stoddard said. “It has fostered an unexpected yet very rewarding sense of community.”

Students were interviewed last spring about what they wanted to see in their new play space, and their feedback helped inspire the inclusion of a basketball court and a kickball field. These elements – alongside several other play areas – make for a fun and engaging new facility.

The finished playground provides age- and developmentally appropriate equipment and play areas for all Volney students, from Prekindergarten through Grade 6. The new design also carefully preserves important elements of the school's history, including the beloved concrete dolphin that has long been a familiar fixture for Volney students.

Stoddard said the new playground offers benefits that extend well beyond physical activity.

“Having a modern, developmentally appropriate playground also transforms recess into an extension of the classroom,” she said. “Beyond basic exercise, it delivers measurable developmental, social and academic gains that benefit our students in many ways.”

The playground's shared play structures give students opportunities to practice skills that are also emphasized during classroom Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) blocks.

The project brought together a number of partners. Matthew Herbert served as LeChase Construction Services' Project Manager, with Kasey Chewning-Kulick serving as Project Engineer. King + King Architects led the design team, with AppelOsborn Landscape Architects serving as landscape architects. Playground equipment was provided by Landscape Structures through Parkitects, while Murphey Excavating Corp. served as the site contractor.

For Volney students, however, the most important part of the project is much simpler: they finally have an updated place to play, explore, create and connect with one another.