• Students used their feet to break the ribbon while swinging on the set.
Osmond Elementary students and staff celebrated the installation of a new swing set on the OES playground on Wednesday, September 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and dance party. Many officials and administrators with Lincoln County School District No. 2 were in attendance. Shelaine Maxfield of Alpine, Utah, a former OES student and the primary donor of funding for the project, was invited to cut the ribbon.
All students and staff gathered around the new swing set for the ceremony where Principal Tyler Jack welcomed everyone and explained how the community worked together to raise the needed funds to restore the swing set that had been removed due to building expansion.
Jack called the project a “pie in the sky dream” to provide a new swing set to the playground at the school. Replacement of the set would require funding that the school did not have. With help from Deb Wolfley, Tim Hale and Kim Dockstader with the LCSD No. 2 Education Foundation, OES sixth grade students, who are now in seventh grade, were able to approach the Maxfield Family by video chat with a request for assistance with the cost to replace the swing set.
Maxfield remembers enjoying the swings as a student at OES 40 years ago. She lived very close to the school and some of her “core memories” were on the swings. “I would come down here at night sometimes with my friends and swing on the swings.”
The Maxfield Family “graciously” agreed to provide a majority of the funding needed for the project, and the Osmond PTO, under the direction of Shantel Johnson, got to work raising the remainder of the funds through an online Facebook auction. “It was incredible to see dozens of businesses give significant donations of goods and services or memberships to be auctioned off,” said Jack. “The whole staff auctioned their time, talents and services for a variety of projects and students auctioned baked goods and other items.”
Jack expressed heartfelt gratitude to Shelaine and the Maxfield family “who generously have been an instrument in making this dream a reality. Their support has brought a lot of joy to our school.” Jack also reminded the OES students of the hard work invested by students who came before them. “Take a minute and think about how all the work that students before you did to make this possible. Many of them never got to use the swings while they were here at the school. They did it for you so that you and future students would be able to enjoy the swing set.”
The Star Valley Community was an integral part of this project as well. “Many of you contributed to these efforts by adding to the auction, buying from the auction and bringing in donations. This included parents, businesses and family members. These swings are truly a collective achievement, and we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Jack acknowledged Triple H Landscaping and Warren Hicks from the LCSD No. 2 maintenance department for their quality work on the project. “Through this project, we have learned that these swings are not just a fun addition to the school for our students, but we learned the power of things we can accomplish when we come together as a community.”
Maxfield was invited to pose for a photo, pretending to cut the ribbon with the Chamber of Commerce giant scissors, but the real inauguration of the swings took place after that. She invited six students to swing into the ribbon and break it with their feet. The student body cheered their encouragement as the six students broke the streamers. Students and staff concluded the celebration with enthusiastic dancing and smiles.
Officials and community members in attendance included LCSD No. 2 administrators Superintendent Matt Erickson and Jason Horsley. LCSD No. 2 Board Members in attendance included Lynn Call, Jed Johnson, Connie Day and Homer Bennett. LCSD No. 2 Education Foundation board members who attended included Tim Hale, Kim Dockstader and Barney Kleeman. Maxfield’s parents, Ronnie and Elaine Olsen, and her sister, RaDawn Burton also attended the ceremony. Senator Dan Dockstader attended as well.
