Students and teachers at Sudduth Elementary School have a new place for playing and learning outdoors with the dedication of the Sudduth Leadership Pavilion Tuesday morning.
The pavilion was a two-and-a-half year project by the Sudduth Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) with several donors from the community and beyond. The pavilion is part of a larger effort to improve the Sudduth playground and other outdoor facilities. The next step in the large-scale project will be installing a permanent fence around the playground.
“One sign of a strong school district is a strong community and partnership with the great support of community,” said Superintendent Eddie Peasant. “We have that here in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. We are just really grateful to you for everything you’ve done supporting this project.”
Peasant said the district was exploring the possibility for shared use of the outdoor facilities with the city of Starkville.
“Not only will our students benefit from this, but I think the community will benefit from this,” said Sudduth Principal Elizabeth Mosley. “It’s an awesome addition to the playground, and I hope we have many more years of using this wonderful facility.”
The pavilion’s main purpose will be to serve as an outdoor classroom. It is designed to provide more shade during the summer months, while also allowing more of the sun’s light and warmth in during winter and fall.
Design work was completed by LPK Architects, which gifted the design to the school. The pavilion was built by Groundstone Construction.
Kindergarten and first grade students from Sudduth performed at the dedication, as did the Starkville High School Jazz Band.