School yard shade debate
Posted May 30, 2011 05:07:55 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Just in time for a week of blazing sun and soaring temperatures, the Waterloo Region District School Board will consider a shade policy for schoolyards.
Board Trustee, Cindy Watson, representing Cambridge/North Dumfries, introduced the motion for a policy that would see parents, community members, and schools working together to set minimum standards for shade and sun-safety for the kids in the playground.
Watson tells 570 News playgrounds can become very hot when the sun is at its peak, and she wants kids to have a comfortable place to play and relax with friends, while being protected from UV radiation.
Watson didn’t want to single out any particular schools within the Board as over-exposed, but adds part of her plan includes taking an inventory of all schools to see which ones could use some extra shade.
She says some schools “could use a lot of work” in this regard.
Watson says building new structures, putting in bushes or vines, and handing out hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses, are all ways to achieve fast relief from excessive sun.
The school board will consider Watson’s motion at a meeting tonight.
