Promoting a positive playground

By KRISTI ALBERTSON/Daily Inter Lake

Two months ago, the Marion School playground was an ideal place to play hide and seek - but students couldn't do much else.

They had playground equipment, but years of weathering the elements had left swings and jungle gyms ugly and unappealing. The tennis courts were old and crumbling. And overgrown knapweed tall enough to tower over a kindergartner obscured the playing fields.

The buildings were in a similar state of disrepair, with faded paint and torn shades hanging askew in the windows.

It wasn't a very appealing environment for teachers or students, Principal Mark Tollefson said. In some respects, it was downright hazardous, and it was detracting from the students' learning environment.

"I'm a firm believer that every kid deserves a quality education," he said.

Over the last several months, that environment has improved as the people of Marion have stepped up and embraced the school. The parent-teacher organization held fundraisers and brought in more than $5,000. The school received an additional $5,000 through Flathead Electric Cooperative's Roundup for Safety program.

That money was used to rip out the old, crumbling tennis courts and lay asphalt on a new outdoor basketball court. The children that used to disappear into the knapweed now obscure the court; so many of them play there that the blacktop is barely visible.

The old tennis courts will be leveled; grass will be planted there instead. But the district hopes to add a couple of new courts, said Anna Marie Bailey, a part-time Marion resident and Kalispell Public Schools trustee. Bailey has contacted the U.S. Tennis Association in hopes of getting the organization's support.

Bailey also has contacted Nike and asked about getting a real running track put in to replace the dirt oval currently in place. If the school had a real track, she said, it could host meets. Plans for improving the softball field also are in the works.

In September, community members, school staff and students held a clean-up day at Marion School. Students helped locate and pile up the large rocks that littered the field of knapweed. They found enough to fill three trailers, which Tollefson hauled off the school grounds.

Once the rocks were out of the way, volunteers mowed the weeds. Others repainted the peeling playground equipment.

But community members have supported more than just playground improvements, Tollefson said. Donations and discounted products have enabled Marion School to get new siding, which will be painted in the spring. Businesses have donated picnic tables, whiteboards, even the food the school served at its clean-up day.

The improvements already have drastically improved the school, Tollefson said. Once more upgrades are finished this spring, "it will be a place where teachers really enjoy coming to work and students take pride in."

Tollefson's pride in the staff and students is evident every time he speaks, and he does what he can to foster that pride among the rest of the school. Nearly every square inch of wall space in the hallways is covered with student artwork and photos from school activities to remind those at Marion School of the good work they're doing.

Although this is Tollefson's first year as a school employee, he has been involved with the school for some time.

His daughter has taught third grade there for seven years, and Tollefson remembers how impressed he was by her commitment to the school. She and other teachers spent half the summer getting their classrooms ready for the upcoming school year, he said. Even dilapidated blinds and a diminutive budget didn't deter their enthusiasm for teaching.

Tollefson, then a shop teacher at Kalispell Junior High School, was inspired by their hard work and decided to run for an open position on the school's board of trustees.

"The reason I wanted to get on the board is I wanted to help in some way to get better working conditions and teaching conditions for teachers so kids could celebrate success," he said. "I wanted them to work in an environment they can be proud of. Teachers put up with so much."

His time on the board was valuable, he said. The trustees encouraged more community involvement, and gradually more Marion residents began taking an interest in the school.

That was important, Tollefson said, because the district simply didn't have money, even for simple repairs.

"I was excited about being

part of the board. We did get a lot done," he said. "We can do a lot without money."

While he was working in Kalispell and serving on the school board, Tollefson also was working on his Master of Administration degree with principal certification from Gonzaga University. The degree meant monthly trips to Spokane in addition to his other duties.

After more than two years' work, he completed his degree. As soon as he received the certificate, the Marion School principal resigned, and Tollefson applied for the job.

One of the first things he did when he was hired was get new blinds for the classrooms, he said, laughing.

He has big dreams for future improvements, including an expanded parking lot to meet the needs of an expanding school. While some of the new buildings going up around Marion are vacation homes, a significant number of families are moving to the area as well, he said.

"I think we'll be getting a lot of new kids in the future," he said.

When they arrive, the school will have to consider expanding, because the existing buildings are "about maxed out," he added. "I would like to see a new school in five years."

While the school needs more improvements, Tollefson is proud of the upgrades that already have taken place. They've helped transform the school, he said.

"We have a lot of fun here. The students have fun," he said. "It's a wonderful learning atmosphere."

He smiled at the students running around the weed-free playground and basketball court.

"It just tickles me pink when I can see them out here and having safe fun," he said.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com