Kingsport City Schools, Andrew Johnson Elementary School, and the Andrew Johnson Elementary School PTO are inviting the Kingsport community and regional friends of The Castle Playground to come out and take their final photo (between now and the night of Thursday, December 20, 2018) at the iconic wooden play structure located on Johnson Elementary School property, before the play structure will be demolished and replaced. 

 

The Castle Playground has entertained young residents of Kingsport and the Tri-Cities area for decades. After a quarter-century, the iconic wooden structure, originally built by community volunteers, has reached the end of its expected life. The construction of the reimagined Castle Playground, designed primarily by current Johnson Elementary students, is sponsored by the Johnson Elementary PTO, a non-profit organization. The vision is to rebuild a community funded, accessible, innovative playground for all children of Kingsport. 

 

The expected demolition date will be Friday, December 21, 2018 after school dismissal at 12:15 p.m.  

 

The new playground construction will take place from March 5-10, 2019. More than 1,000 volunteers (both skilled and non-skilled) from across Kingsport came out a decade ago to construct the community playground. Whether you are a skilled craftsman or just wanting an opportunity to improve the community, you can help by becoming a volunteer. There are four ways in which you can help make the new Castle a reality: 1.) Volunteer - build the playground or serve meals/drinks, 2.) Donate - Supply materials and/or tools to build the playground, 3.) Sponsor - Lunch, dinner or snacks for the volunteers, and 4.) Financial Contribution - The PTO has attained 69 percent of their $275,000 total budget. 

 

There are three (3) four-hour shifts to choose from. 1st Shift: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (lunch provided); 2nd Shift: 12:30-4:30 p.m. (dinner provided); and 3rd Shift: 5-8:30 p.m. Please take note of the volunteer age requirements; you must be 14+ to serve meals and 18+ to build the playground.

 

For more information, to register as a volunteer or to supply materials/tools or to make a financial  contribution, visit castleofkingsport.com. 

 

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, a high school program of choice and an alternative learning program; with total enrollment over 7,700 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to Inspire. Cultivate. Impact. 

For more information on KCS, visit k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, download our mobile app for Apple / Android devices or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District), LinkedIn (Kingsport City Schools) and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools). 

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