Jenae Larson had dreamed of improving the playground at the Haines School, where she was the kindergarten teacher.
She died a year ago in the Southeast community’s massive winter landslide. David Simmons was also killed.
The community is planning several memorial projects to honor them and commemorate the deadly disaster, including renovating the school playground, Larson’s dream.
“I’m part of what we call Team Jenae, which is the group of folks that is helping to create this playground in Jenae’s memory,” said Shelly Sloper, a Haines school board member and alum
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Larson had grown up in Haines. She graduated in the class of 2016, with a desire to return to Haines and teach. In 2020, she landed her dream job as a kindergarten teacher.
Sloper said it was Jenae’s mother’s idea to create the memorial playground, and the community quickly rallied to make it happen. They started a GoFundMe page. So far they’ve raised just over $31,000 toward a $110,000 goal.
The memorial playground will replace the current small play structure in the kindergarten-through-second-grade area.
“Play is such an important part of development,” Sloper said. “And, you know, Jenae, was just super passionate about teaching and supporting her students, in the classroom, but also out here.”
At recess, kids clamber up the small playground’s ladder and bound around. Beyond is a clear view of Mount Ripinski’s snow-capped peak.
“As you can tell, there’s just a couple of pieces of equipment,” Sloper said. “And it just needs to be updated. Basically, the idea is that the elements of the playground will represent, or sort of showcase, some things we love about Haines, and some things that Jenae loved about Haines, like the ocean and the river and water sports and really just be a place for it will look beautiful, but also be a space for learning and development for the K-2 students.”
A landscape architecture firm in Juneau volunteered to create a design. The initial design features a variety of play and learning spaces, including a boat structure, tricycle trail, and outdoor classroom. It’s posted now on the Jenae Larson group Facebook page.
“It’s been so wonderful. It’s so heartening to see the donations that are coming in,” Sloper said. “And folks are just really excited about the project. And we’re seeing that from the school community, from the broader community and from folks around the world who just saw the project and thought it was great or love Jenae, and just really are excited to see this in, you know, being done in her honor.”
Sloper said they’re still fundraising, and the playground design will be finalized based on the funding.
Besides creating a beautiful and fun new space for students, Sloper said working on the project has also been healing for family, friends and the school community.
“I think it’s been something that we can put our energy toward, in a way that makes us it gives us a purpose, I think, in a lot of ways,” Sloper said, tearing up. “It’s not easy because it reminds us of Jenae all the time, but it’s good in a way for healing to be to have Jenae in our minds, and to think about the things she cares about.”
She said they hope it’ll be a place for play and to remember Jenae, as a space for community healing.
