Playground Upgrades Completed At Malden's Salemwood School

MALDEN, MA — Improvements to the Salemwood School playground were unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

The project included removing the deteriorated mulch surfacing and installing a new resilient rubber safety surface and two new sensory play panels to engage students with different learning needs. Three additional play panels will be installed later this fall.

The panels and the colorful surface design were chosen to enhance play for Salemwood students, especially children who are non-verbal.

The project was initiated by Ward 5 Councillor Barbara Murphy, who worked with administrators at the Salemwood School to find the best use of Community Development Block Grant funding.

It is being administered by the city's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development and funded by the CDBG, with additional funding from Malden Public Schools.

Mayor Gary Christenson attended Wednesday's ceremony, along with Murphy, Superintendent Ligia Noriega-Murphy, Assistant Superintendent Emilys Peña, Salemwood Principal Van Huynh, School Committee member Adam Weldai and Community Development Director Alex Pratt.