Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/30/2023
MONSON — Granite Valley School awaits town approval to use the $50,000 awarded by the Community Preservation Committee for their playground project, Principal Joseph Trivisonno said.
The funding, which was awarded at the CPC’s Sept. 5 meeting, is scheduled to be discussed at the Nov. 6 Town Meeting at 7 p.m. in Granite Valley School. If approved, the funds will be used alongside the $22,000 recently raised by the school at its Oct. 13 Fun Run event and complete all funding needed for the project, Trivisonno stated.
“The playground project has truly been a community effort,” Trivisonno said, citing the support Granite Valley School has received from families and local businesses.
Not only did the CPC award $10,000 more than the $40,000 in funding requested — an action that Trivisonno stated has never occurred before — but the $22,000 raised from Fun Run was donated from 23 states and three countries, he said.
This year’s Fun Run, hosted by Granite Valley School and Monson Parent Teacher Student Association, consisted of 35-minute sessions for each grade, K-6. During their grade’s session, each student ran or walked the track based on the number of minutes of exercise families and residents donated for them to use.
“It really has been amazing to see them [the community] get behind our students,” Trivisonno stated.
Together, the $72,000 will fund the construction of a full-size basketball court for Granite Valley students to use during recess. The court will also be used for extra space when plowing snow in the winter, Trivisonno explained.
Due to declining weather, the construction will occur either during April vacation of 2024 or after the 2023-24 school year concludes in June, Trivisonno said. However, he emphasized that the school is hoping to complete the construction before June to allow the current sixth graders to enjoy the expanded playground. With contractors already chosen, the construction is expected to take 10 days and have no impact on the students.