SCMP Saturday, September 15, 2001

Calm zones get buzz of approval
KATHY GRIFFIN
Children's input was an important factor in the playground project at Quarry Bay School, with a student council set up and representatives from each year invited to sit on it. Before the end of last term the children reported that they were delighted with the change, as well as their experience on the council:
Anna Webster, Year Four: "Everybody had different ideas about what they wanted but there were the same main ideas. They wanted grass, trees and plants. Now everybody thinks what's happened is great."
Juhi Mirchandani, Year Six: "I didn't do much in the playground before. I used to walk around and talk with friends but it was noisy and there were no chairs. People climbed on the ones that were there."
Supriya Mundhra, Year Five: "Loads of people were bored before. The new playground gives us a chance to be creative and make our own games."
Mikka Yee, Year Three: "The student council has been a help to the school in deciding how we want the school to be and keeping it clean."
Lisa Taylor, Year Four: "I wanted a swimming pool but it would cost too much and there wasn't enough space."
Esme Anderson, Year Three: "Now we have the quiet area, I like it very much, it can keep the playground more peaceful."
Sangjoon Kim, Year Six: "Hearing comments from other grades, I was surprised that the Year Ones were not thinking about how the Year Fives think."