On Wednesday, August 16, 2023, The Dunham School held the ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony for the school’s new, state-of-the-art lower school playground. 

The new playground, named “Tiger Town,” was made possible thanks to a generous lead gift from Kim and Mike Wampold, who were joined at the ribbon-cutting by their children, Mik ’32 and Alder Rose ’34. The playground, which features new equipment, a large sportsplex, turf fields, multiple shaded zones, and a dedicated sensory area, is the largest campus improvement completed in the past seven years and the first capital project undertaken as part of the school's 15-year campus master plan as outlined in the current strategic plan.

"We have understood for a long time that happy children perform better in school. In addition, educational research shows that students who have opportunities to run, play, imagine, and take in more fresh air during the school day will be less anxious and live healthy, active lives. This new playground allows for the expansion of our Lower School P.E. program, and it is our fervent prayer that it will continue to bring joy to our Lower School children for many years to come," said Head of School Steve Eagleton.

The grand opening of the playground also marked the public launch of the school’s 40 & Forever campaign, a comprehensive $16 million fundraising initiative that will pave the way for continued academic excellence, long-term financial sustainability, and future capital projects. Thanks to the generosity of a number of early donors, the campaign is currently 57 percent funded with nearly $9.1 million in gifts and pledges received to date.

Proposed capital projects include improvements to the Middle and Upper School practice field, upgrades to the Dunham Stadium on Siegen Lane, the expansion of the Rollins Family Dining Hall, refurbishment to Chapel Hall, and Phase II renovations in the Carpenter-Randall Science Center. More information about the 40 & Forever campaign can be found on the campaign's web page.

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