{"id":28179,"date":"2026-04-09T22:35:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/?p=28179"},"modified":"2026-04-09T22:35:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:35:41","slug":"fldp-pavilion-project-brings-shade-relief-to-central-elementary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/2026\/04\/fldp-pavilion-project-brings-shade-relief-to-central-elementary\/","title":{"rendered":"FLDP pavilion project brings shade, relief to Central Elementary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Debra Hawrysko\u2019s eight-year-old grandson became overheated and sick during recess, it changed how she saw the playground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat experience opened my eyes,\u201d she said. \u201cI later learned that out of all the playgrounds in Fluvanna County schools, the first and second grade playground at Central Elementary is the only one without any shade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That realization sparked a project now moving forward through the Fluvanna Leadership Development Program (FLDP), where Hawrysko and her FLDP23 cohort have made the construction of a shaded pavilion their class initiative for the 2025\u20132026 program year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are three project groups this year, and this became our team\u2019s focus,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea gained momentum after Hawrysko learned that the Lake Monticello Community Foundation had previously explored building a pavilion at the lake and raised funds for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt seemed like a perfect opportunity to redirect those resources to support students instead,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though we ultimately didn\u2019t receive funding from them, that moment was the inspiration behind the idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Hawrysko, the need was clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t right that the youngest and most vulnerable students were playing outside in the blazing sun with no access to shade,\u201d she said. \u201cThis project grew from wanting to make sure every child has a safe, comfortable place to learn and play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pavilion, designed to seat up to 36 students at six picnic tables, will provide both relief from the sun and a flexible outdoor learning space. A student from Carysbrook Elementary, which already has a pavilion, described its value simply: \u201cWe use it if we need to take a small break and are worn out and need water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weather permitting, the structure can serve as an outdoor classroom, offering teachers a change of setting while supporting student well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is highly beneficial for their mental health and overall well-being,\u201d Hawrysko said. \u201cSocially, it gives students a place to rest, cool down, and take a moment if they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed structure\u2014measuring 24 by 25 feet and standing 10 feet tall\u2014was designed to accommodate a standard class of 15 to 17 students, with enough room to host two classes while maintaining ADA-compliant spacing. Built for durability, the low-maintenance pavilion is expected to last more than 20 years and can be installed in one to two days by the FLDP team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project has been fully funded through community support. Tenaska donated the full project cost of $9,087, while Home Depot and Lowe\u2019s each contributed three picnic tables. Additional support came from Wahoo BBQ and Armstrong Landscaping, which each donated $300 toward a solar ceiling fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of our partners showed true community involvement and commitment,\u201d Hawrysko said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond its immediate use as a shaded recess area, organizers say the pavilion will serve as a long-term asset for the school, supporting both learning and student wellness for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Page H. GiffordCorrespondent When Debra Hawrysko\u2019s eight-year-old grandson became overheated and sick during recess, it changed how she saw the playground. \u201cThat experience opened my eyes,\u201d she said. \u201cI later learned that out of all the playgrounds in Fluvanna County schools, the first and second grade playground at Central Elementary is the only one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":28180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,23,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-latest_news","category-schools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28179"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28179"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28181,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28179\/revisions\/28181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fluvannareview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}