Learning together and playing together are two foundation values at McBride Elementary School. Special education teacher Nick Hostler embodied them both.
That’s why his tragic death in 2018 was such a huge loss for everyone who loved him, including his McBride students, says his mother Mary Kay Hostler.
“Nick was a special educator who cared deeply about his students, who he called his friends,” said Hostler. “He knew the importance of relationships and how they could impact his students for their entire lives. And while this time with his students was short, it was not meaningless.”
On Oct. 7, Mr. Nick’s family and friends were joined by the McBride school community to cut the ribbon and officially open Mr. Nick’s Inclusive Playground.
On a bright blue sign welcoming children to the innovative, interactive space, the playground’s purpose is stated clearly -- all abilities, all together.
“Nick had a gift,” said Lael Streight, McBride principal. “He saw the possibilities in all of us and then challenged us with questions to Do Better. Nick was a change maker. He had a gifted ability to connect to students and to change lives. He did that here at McBride, and in his honor, we hope to change lives with this playground.”
The designed playground for early childhood special education learners cost nearly $520,000. This amount was raised by countless grants written by McBride staff, student-led fundraisers, generous donations by local nonprofits and the tireless work of the Hostler family.
“It has taken two years to get to this point, and it did not come without a lot of work and a lot of people,” said Natalie Murdock, executive director of the Foundation for SPS. “Thank you to McBride staff and families, who participated in fun runs and fundraisers. And to McBride students, who held lemonade fundraisers and waited for this day, patiently, for when they could truly play together, never apart.”
