Phase one construction updates:

Phase One construction updates:

The first round of Phase One construction takes place:

Playground items are delivered and ready for installation:

It is with great excitement that we announce the groundbreaking of the playground project. Over the past year, more than 65 families, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends have supported the playground project, and it is through our community's generosity that Phase One of this project can now become a reality.

On Tuesday, January 19, we celebrated with a groundbreaking. This ceremony included brief remarks from members of the St. Paul community as well as a ceremonial groundbreaking by some of our students. While we wish we could have hosted everyone on campus to enjoy this moment, we eagerly await our students' opportunity to create new memories on the playground and the additional benefits it will provide to their daily experience. Thank you for your support in all its forms!

The first round of Phase One demolition takes place.

It is with great anticipation and a tremendous amount of gratitude that we announce the next step of our playground project. Thanks to your generosity, we have received Board of Trust approval to complete Phase One, and we estimate that St. Paul students will be enjoying the new features of our playground within the next four months – just in time for spring!

Above you will see the final renderings of Phase One, which will also include a student-favorite “GaGa Ball” pit. The playground equipment for Phase One has been ordered, and over the next few months, these innovative structures will be manufactured to our design specifications. Once delivered, the new surface and equipment installation and related site work should only take a few short weeks and can be safely completed while school is in session.

Once our next Head of School is in place, plans for future phases of the playground will be addressed. In the meantime, please stay tuned for further updates about the Phase One groundbreaking, construction progress, and opening day.

In a year of many uncertainties, you have stood behind St. Paul and our desire to improve our students’ daily experience through this reimagined playground space that celebrates childhood and provides opportunities for physical and social-emotional development. Thank you for your partnership and investment, which will not only impact today’s students but St. Paul Saints for years to come.

Site survey, phase planning, and final design work are completed, and fundraising efforts for Phase One continue.

Children are filling the hallways of St. Paul once again, and it is wonderful to hear their laughter as they connect with old friends and make new ones. After many months apart, we are delighted to see them play together, and we look forward to the day when they can enjoy that fellowship and physical activity on our new playground. You have generously supported our effort to reimagine our playground space, and today, we write you to share an update on our progress.

The project continues to move forward, and the site survey was completed earlier this month. We have received the surveyor’s report, which gives us a better understanding of the grading, site work, and potential permits that will be required for each of the three elevations of the playground. Our next step is to meet with the playground designer with this information in hand to determine the total costs and the specific details of each phase of the project.

Your support of this important improvement will impact every student, every day at St. Paul, and we are grateful for your partnership. We look forward to sharing future updates with you, and in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. Thank you!

As the end of the school year approaches, our world looks quite different than it did at the Saints Bash when we announced that, with the help of our community, St. Paul would build a new playground. We remain excited about the ways this reimagined space and new equipment will enhance the experience of each and every St. Paul student for years to come, and today we want to update you on the status of the playground project and our next steps.

We are pleased to share that we continue to move forward with the design and planning process for our new playground, and the next step will be to conduct a site survey. Our playground construction will take place in phases, and thanks to you and the support of others in our community, we plan to move forward with the first phase in the 2020-2021 school year. We are eager to get started and to celebrate the groundbreaking!

To complete the remaining phase(s) of the playground, additional funding will be needed. We are sensitive to the health issues, job loss or reduction in hours, and new day-to-day stresses posed by COVID-19, and St. Paul will continue to navigate the complexities that surround fundraising in our current economy. Throughout our 48-year history, the St. Paul community has stood together in strength, and we trust that those who are able to support St. Paul philanthropically will do so as their circumstances allow.

Now, more than ever, we understand the value of outdoor play and the ability to enjoy the company of friends. What a wonderful day it will be when we see St. Paul students gathered together and having fun on our new playground! Thank you for the important role you have played in launching this project at St. Paul.  We remain grateful for your support of our students through your generosity.

The Playground Project is announced at Saints Bash on February 21, and to jumpstart the effort, over $110,000 is raised during the Paddle Raise that evening.

To find out more about Saints Bash, St. Paul's largest celebration and fundraising event, visit our website.