By Melanie Petrucci, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Parker Road Assistant Preschool Teacher Catherine Dowling is a keen observer. She noticed a couple of problems during the course of her teaching day – first, the lack of space and too much noise in the classroom and, second, long lines to use the outdoor playground equipment.
While thinking of solutions to the issues, her colleague Jenna Roxo stumbled upon something – on Pinterest of all places – that sparked an idea. She shared it with Dowling who wrote a grant proposal, submitted it to the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce, and turned the idea into a reality.
In November, the school received a mini-grant to create a “musical fence,” a sound station consisting of two fence panels with a selection of household items attached to it. These items include PVC pipes of varying lengths and widths to create different musical tones. The fence is located outside in the playground and can be played by any child. Household items attached include everyday new and recycled materials such as metal and plastic tubes, pipes, pots, utensils, trays, and tins, as well as some musical instruments like xylophone bars and wind chimes.
The mini-grant from Corridor Nine provided the funding to buy the initial materials. Additional funds may be needed eventually as the fence evolves.
The fence will help the children learn through free play while developing an understanding of volume, pitch, vibrations and cause and effect.
“The main reason that I decided to make a musical fence was to provide something else for children to do in the playground because the line for the swings tends to be long which means that many children spend a chunk of their playtime waiting rather than playing, running around and making noise like many children love to do,” Dowling explained. “I also thought it would be a good idea to have something that wouldn’t be possible to do in the classroom due to lack of space and noise restrictions, particularly as some children are sensitive to loud noises. The musical fence will allow the children to make as much noise as they like and have fun experimenting with sound.”
There are approximately 75 children in the Parker Road Wesleyan Terrace building who will benefit from this grant. The design of the musical fence is such that it can be removed and stored during inclement weather. It also features flexibility as components can be changed and expanded.
Dowling and a parent volunteer teamed up to design and construct the musical fence. Mark Miller, an engineer and a Parker Road parent, learned of the project and immediately wanted to get involved. He saw that this was a good opportunity to introduce the science of sound.
“I am a strong advocate of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum in our local schools,” he said. “By profession I am an engineer at Bose Corporation and see the importance of having a strong math and science education. I loved the idea of using industrial materials to create an interactive play space that teaches kids about different sounds while having fun at the same time… I can’t wait to watch the students use it.”
Dowling and Miller installed the fence during the April school break and it was recently unveiled.
For more information about the Chamber’s Mini-Grant Program, contact Karen Chapman, president of Corridor Nine Area Chamber, at [email protected].
