Groundbreaking for pavilion to honor Jefferson Elementary student who died of cancer
LITTLE ROCK, Ark – Wednesday was bittersweet for the Jefferson Elementary School family.
After the loss of fourth-grade student Malin Optiz last year, Wednesday was the groundbreaking of the new play and learning pavilion named in Malin’s honor.
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Malin passed away in 2023 from brain cancer.
She loved being at school. In fact, Jefferson Elementary was one of her favorite places to be.
Even while dealing with the fight of cancer, when she could, she’d always show up because “she wanted to spend as much time with the people she loved at Jefferson,” Malin’s father Johnathan said.
Throughout the groundbreaking ceremony at Jefferson Elementary, tears of sadness fell from classmates of Malin.
“She was so strong. That made it easy for us to be strong,” fifth-grader Annie Chandler said.
The pavilion will be named the Malin Reed Opitz Pavilion and be located on the playground at the school.
The pavilion will have two sides. One side will be for playing and the other side will be for reading and learning.
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Classmates of Malin’s participated in input for the design of the outdoor classroom.
“We asked the kids if they could have a pavilion behind their school – what would they want inside of it?” Ernest Banks, architect with Polk Stanley Wilcox and one of the designers of the project, said.
“The main idea for the pavilion is to marry the two ideas of learning and playing together,” Banks continued. “The design is split into two levels, one has a dedicated play side through it; while the other side is a green turf space designed for learning and reading.”
Fifth-grade student Preston James said Malin was the person who “didn’t think of herself but was thinking of others.” This pavilion is a testament to that.
Malin’s father says when Malin made her list of things she would do if she won the lottery, “it was made from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old who knew she was going to die.”
Malin listed things that would help others such as a place where her friends at Jefferson Elementary could play.
“Everything she dreamed didn’t benefit her,” Johnathan said.
“We’re a lot more together because we realize how much she wanted us to be together,” said fifth-grader Rachel Hall.
Through sickness and pain, Malin’s heart shined. “She showed so much care to everybody,” Annie Chandler said. And even through death, she’ll continue to beam as current and future students will smile and make memories in her honor.
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To make this project happen, the Jefferson Elementary School Parent Teacher Association raised nearly $565,000.
The amount raised was more than they needed for the pavilion. The extra money will be able to renovate the soccer field on the playground.
The Jefferson Elementary Parent Teacher Association says the project is scheduled to be completed in early Fall of 2024.
Once completed, school officials said there will be a community-wide ribbon-cutting celebration.
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