Ravenscroft is pleased to announce plans to renovate and expand the Lower School’s early childhood playground, providing additional outdoor space and upgraded features for students in PreK through second grade to enjoy.

Izzy’s Playground is a gift from Ravenscroft parents Courtney and Geoffrey Brock in memory of their daughter. The project will unfold in several phases over the next year and, as part of the Brocks’ vision, will become a “living play space” in which ongoing yearly enhancements will support and encourage students’ natural curiosity and love of discovery. 

“Izzy’s Playground is a communal commitment to creating an engaging playspace that evolves year after year,” Courtney Brock said. “The playground design will continually grow, evolve and provide new opportunities for play for our youngest Ravens.”

As the project rendering below shows, plans include enhanced natural features in the current playground area — including a grassy slope ideal for slides, as portrayed at top right  — and an expansion into the wooded area in front of the Dining Hall. Features of the project have been designed with input from Lower School faculty to capitalize on their expertise in child development.

Lower School families coming through the front carpool in the first days of school may notice the earliest stage of the project, as some parts of the playground are taped off. According to Director of Facilities Chris Farrow, construction fencing will soon be put in place as Phase I gets underway. Students in PreK through second grade will still be able to safely play in the majority of the existing playground.

“Children explore the world through play. We know unstructured playtime is essential to their physical and social-emotional development and academic success,” Head of Lower School Nicole Girvan said. “We are so grateful to Courtney and Geoffrey for this gift, which will give our PreK through second-grade students a fun and age-appropriate outdoor play space in which to explore, imagine, build friendships and reset during their day.”

The Brocks’ gift represents a significant investment in Lower School facilities — and it comes at a strategic moment for the school. With the much-anticipated opening of the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center in the spring, the existing Dining Hall and the expanded playground will become a vibrant and flexible community hub for PreK through fifth grade.

To learn more about Izzy’s Playground, contact Phil Higginson, Associate Head of School for Philanthropy, at 919-847-0900, ext. 2232, or phigginson@ravenscroft.org.