On Aug. 2, a beautiful new playground was built on barren land in the Nyeland Acres area of Oxnard.

It was a magical coming together of volunteers from the Amgen Foundation, KaBOOM!, Rio School District, the neighborhood, California Conservation Corps, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme and the Navy Seabees — all for the sake of our community's children.

There was a generosity of resources made possible by Amgen, Rio School District, RC Ground Cover, Boething Treeland Farms, Chik-fil-A and Mimi's Cafe, but, more importantly, there was a generosity of heart and spirit from the more than 200 people of diverse backgrounds who participated that day.

The creation of this annex playground implements the school district and board of trustees' Unity of Purpose goals and strategies adopted for the 2008-09 school year.

As part of its overriding mission, the district has committed, in its annual goals, to continue to improve the overall education for all students, to support students in all ways and to help them excel in school and in relationships with their peers and adults.

The initiatives embodied in the district's Unity of Purpose help ensure that we connect to children's hearts so that they open their minds to learning. This message is reinforced every day in our district's motto: "Embracing hearts, inspiring minds."

To truly educate and change lives, you have to reach the "whole child" — physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. First and foremost, the children must know you care.

We can all take pride in the Rio School District annex playground for what it means to the community's children. Until it was created, there was no playground for children living in this area. By investing in an underserved area, we are sending a message that this community and our children matter — that they are worthy of our time and commitment.

The playground is more than the brightly colored play equipment, covered eating areas, benches, community garden plots and an outdoor classroom assembled by the volunteers in just one day. It's a community gathering spot.

Here, families can come to enjoy quality time together in a healthy, beautiful environment. Being together strengthens adult-child connections that are so important for raising responsible, healthy and caring adults. It also strengthens Nyeland Acres by providing a way for the community to support and connect with each other and with children.

Studies have shown that playing is important to academic and social development. Having a safe place where kids can "just be kids" builds self-confidence, encourages creativity and teaches tolerance of others. At the playground, there is a large plaque with Spanish and English lyrics of the Carpenters song, "Bless the Beasts and the Children."

Bless the beasts and the children.

Give them shelter from a storm.

Keep them safe. Keep them warm.

The song's lyrics are meant to be a reminder that it's everyone's job to create safe harbors for all children.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed and/or participated in making something positive happen for the children of our community.

— Sherianne Cotterell is superintendent of the Rio School District in Oxnard.