Bryant Students Give Rubber Mats Test

A new playground surface made from recycled tires should mean fewer skinned knees and slivers at Bryant Elementary School.

Cushioned rubber tiles have replaced wood chips underneath the playground equipment at the Sioux City elementary school. On Monday morning following a dedication ceremony, a class of kindergarten students from Miss Bush's class were let loose running and screaming in the first official test of the playground at the school.

Bryant is one of about 15 school and park playgrounds in Iowa that will benefit from the Iowa Safe Surfacing Initiative, a $500,000 project that shows how Iowa-based technology can economically convert waste tires into useful products.

The demonstration was part of a project approved by this year's Iowa Legislature and Gov. Tom Vilsack. It is part of the National Program for Playground Safety at the University of Northern Iowa.

The new surface, made of patented rubber and polymer tiles developed and manufactured by Welch Products of Carlisle, Iowa, was installed this month. Workers prepared the playground for the state-of-the-art surfacing by pouring a concrete base in August.

Lexi Kohn, a Bryant student and Young Ambassador, helped cut the ribbon for the playground using the requisite oversize scissors borrowed from the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. After the ceremony, she shared her insight on the project from the perspective of a fifth grader.

�"We used to have wood chips, and I remember we used to throw them everywhere ---and we would get a whole bunch of slivers," Lexi said. "I think it makes it look a lot nicer, and I think it makes it a lot safer."

Dr Rita Vannatta, Bryant principal, said the wood chips that were recently removed tended to scatter in the wind and were thrown by children.

�"You had to keep adding onto them," she said.� "The neighbors are happy with the surface because it is not blowing into their yard.

More than 400 students at the school were able to make use of the playground as of Monday. If they fall from the equipment, the rubber tiles will help to cushion them.

Iowa House Speaker Rep. Christopher Rants,�� R-Sioux City, and Iowa Sen. Steve Warnstadt,� D-Sioux City, were also on hand at the ceremony Monday morning to speak about state involvement in the project.

Rants is a former Bryant Elementary student.�� "I skinned my knees lots of times on this very playground."� Rants said.� "I'm just happy Bryant School was one of the pilot projects in the state to participate so, hopefully, we have a few less skinned knees and no broken bones in this particular playground."

Even in a difficult budget year, Rants said, the Iowa Legislature was able to find the money for the project because education and the well-being of students is a top priority for the Iowa Legislature.

Warnstadt promised to keep comments short as the students fidgeted, waiting to try out the playground.� "My only advice is don't test it out too much by trying to jump too high," he said

He said the use of recycling tires is a great example of an environmental project as well as an economic development initiative.

Heather Olsen, NPPS project coordinator, said more than 200,000 children are injured each year on America's playgrounds.

"Seventy percent of those children are injured during falls to the surface."

Olsen said. "The goal of the project will provide safer playing surfaces and allow us to gather information that will help our efforts to reduce the numbers and severity of playground injuries."

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