Elevating education: Celebrating assistant principals and enriching playgrounds

Elm Grove Elementary School, Texas

Celebrating the pillars of our educational community, particularly assistant principals, is more than a gesture—it’s a commitment to acknowledging the foundational role they play in our schools. We’re proud of our 15-year partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) through which we partner with these educational professionals to promote healthy children, successful futures and encourage a place where children of all abilities can play, learn and grow together. We’re also excited to continue our sponsorship of its National Outstanding Assistant Principals® (NOAP) Program. This initiative shines a light on the extraordinary efforts of assistant principals across the nation, recognizing their dedication and the positive impacts they have within their school communities. See the Class of 2024 National Outstanding Assistant Principals.

Celebrating the 2024 National Outstanding Assistant Principals

Our commitment to enhancing the educational environment extends beyond accolades. Understanding the critical importance of play in child development, we also focus on the role of school playgrounds. These spaces are not just areas for recess, they are vital for encouraging physical activity, fostering social skills and enhancing cognitive development. Research underscores the significance of outdoor physical activity, not only for children’s health but also for their academic and social progress. Creating age-appropriate and developmentally suitable playgrounds is pivotal in ensuring that children receive the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity daily, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To support this vision, we work with schools to bring these playground projects to fruition so children can thrive both inside and outside the classroom. For more detailed insights on planning and implementing school playgrounds, go here. Then contact your local Landscape Structures playground consultant to get started on designs for your upcoming playground projects today.

Principals give back to school in Nashville

Elementary school principals from all over the country gathered in Nashville, Tenn., for the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Annual Convention & Exposition held July 10-12. But before the Convention could kick off, we helped celebrate NAESP’s sixth annual Community Service Day. Together with nearly 100 elementary and middle school principals, we installed new playground equipment including a zip line-like component called the ZipKrooz™ and the OmniSpin® spinner at Inglewood Elementary School.

Proud to partner with the National Association of Elementary School Prinicpals for their Community Service Day.

“Inglewood Elementary is a neighborhood school serving bright and energetic students who will benefit greatly from this new playground,” said Carrie Mickle, principal of Inglewood Elementary School. “The ZipKrooz is one of the first in the area, and will be a draw to families to check out Inglewood Elementary and discover the exciting things taking place in our part of Nashville.”

We’re proud to have partnered with NAESP to bring play to schools across the nation. Learn more about our partnership here.