Playground Project

Built in 1995, the current Beginning and Lower School playground was a community effort to create an exceptional play area for school. For generations of students, it has been an essential part of the Catlin Gabel experience, a place where students learn to practice and implement many of the core values of the school.

After a quarter-century of use, the structure now requires significant and increasing annual maintenance, and the school will replace the playground by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

June 2024

• Fifth-grade students, on a class trip in Seattle, visit numerous playgrounds and document elements that will be important to Catlin Gabel students.

September 2024

• Teachers document what they like best about our playground, what they might change, and what they hope to see at Catlin Gabel.

October 2024

• The Playground Committee is formed, comprised of administrators, alumni, and current families representing different grades, years at Catlin Gabel, and perspectives.
• A BLS Faculty Committee is formed concurrently to give inspiration and feedback.
• The Playground Committee consolidates feedback received from students, faculty, alumni, and current families to establish key criteria for the new playground, including budget, scope, safety, materials, and timeline.

November 2024

• The Playground Committee creates the Playground Design Manifesto, a set of guiding principles to be used as our touchpoint for decision-making throughout the design process.
• Fundraising begins in earnest, with a goal of $1.3 million and a deadline of June 2025!

December 2024

• An all-community event in the Barn provides stakeholders with an opportunity to engage in the conceptual design stage. Parents, students, and employees engage in exercises and discussions, and share thoughts and feelings regarding all playground features, including physical design, use of space, and colors.

February 2025

• With the collected input from our community and the Playground Committee, landscape architectural firm Mayer Reed creates a playground plan that is shared at a follow-up all-community meeting in the Barn.
• 85% of the fundraising goal achieved!

June 2025

• Deconstruction of the existing playground structures takes place, and new construction begins.

September 2025

• The new Catlin Gabel Beginning and Lower School playground is completed and dedicated on the first day of the school year, September 4, 2025.

For their dedication to the school, generosity of spirit, and commitment to the values of Catlin Gabel, we are grateful to the individuals who are giving their time and talent to make our new playground a foundational learning space at Catlin Gabel for decades to come.

Parent Volunteers

• Elizabeth Angel, Parent ’35, ’38
• Liza Brennan ’99, Parent ’30, ’32
• Robert Carlton, Parent ’37
• Meghan Carlton, Parent ’37
• Lesley Davis ’04, Parent ’34
• Chris Dorough ’02, Parent ’34, ’37
• Mary Dorough, Parent ’34, ’37
• Susie Greenbaum ’05, Parent ’36, ’38
• Dorian Kendal, Parent ’34
• Selam Mehary, Parent ’29, ’33
• Harry Miller ’05, Parent ’36, ’38
• David Newsom, Parent ’36
• Michael Orenstein, Parent ’37
• Tim Rupp, Parent ’32, ’35
• Afton Walsh ’03, Parent ’35, ’36
• Nell Warren ’96, Parent ’30, ’35
• Phoebe Wayne ’97, Parent ’37
• Edith Winkler, Parent ’37

Staff

• Sharon Keiser, Chief Finance and Operations Officer
• Meghan Pollard, Associate Director of Advancement
• Nicole Rinetti-Clawson, Director of Advancement
• Lea Trefsgar, Sr. Development Director
• Jewell Sparks, Assistant Director of Inclusive Student Programs
• Mike Wilson, Associate Director, Grounds
• Erin Zanon, Family Engagement Director
• Nick Zosel-Johnson, Head of the Beginning and Lower School