MADE IN THE SHADE: Student innovates solution to sun at Bay Elementary

Students are going to feel a lot cooler on the playground this year thanks to Maia Billman’s award-winning writing.

Bay Elementary School installed a large sunshade that it was awarded when Billman’s essay won the Florida Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery essay contest, just in time for classes to begin.

“I like it. It’s cool,” Maia said, minutes after seeing it for the first time.

The brightly-colored blue fabric shade with red posts covers the plastic jungle gym that once baked under Florida's sun.

“Usually my friends and I hide under the equipment, but if we had a sunshade we would be free to play whatever and however we want,” Billman wrote in her essay.

As far as writing the out-of-classroom assignment, she started with “brainstorming” ideas and sticking notes on “our big mirror,” Maia said, followed by “hours on the internet” researching.

Sticking things to the big mirror is something she and Kerri, her mother do a lot.

“My mom writes sayings she likes on the mirror, or we be creative and draw stuff,” Maia said.

Personal experience helped in generating ideas, too.

“My friend’s dad had cancer and he has to wear his shirt, hat and glasses in the water to protect his skin,” Maia said.

For her teacher Ms. Devarona, known to her students as Ms. D, the sunshade is something the virtually coverless playground really needed.

“The students would go out for five minutes and would want to go in because it is so hot out there,” Ms. D said.

Maia is a very talented writer, said Ms. D.

“No, not surprised in the least, proud, but not surprised,” Ms. D said. “She is absolutely an elaborate writer.”

Maia saw her first, second and third grade teachers Tuesday, but was not worried which one of the three fifth grade teachers would be hers.

“I don’t know them, but I know they are all good,” Billman said.

Maia’s confidence wavered slightly as she expressed mixed feelings with starting the new school year.

“I really can’t wait, but I am a little scared,” she said.

Winning essay written by Maia Billman

Sun Safety

My Mom says “the sun sets in you and your sister’s eyes.” I suppose for everyone there is someone special they want to protect. For me, living on the Emerald Coast of Florida, the sun represents happy days on the beach or on the bay with my family. But I know I must protect myself from the sun. Away from school, I have an opportunity to apply and reapply sunscreen. At school, I cannot apply sunscreen. Which leads me to believe that children like me need protection like your sun shade in order to protect us when we can’t protect ourselves.

Living in a tourist community, I often see people sun burnt as red as a lobster! It is funny to see, but I know how miserable they must be. It must ruin their vacation. But worse than that, the sun damage to their skin could affect them for a lifetime, or limit their lifetime. Skin cancer is a scary consequence to face. I wish everyone were aware how easy it is to protect themselves. Following simple rules like applying sunscreen, limiting time in the sun and reapplying sunscreen can really help reduce sun damage to their skin.

One of my favorite times at school is recess. At recess, I am only expected to play. Honestly, I never thought about a sun shade for our playground until this essay contest. On a really hot sunny day the only thing I think about at recess is shade. Usually my friends and I hide under the equipment, but if we had a sun shade we would be free to play whatever and however we want. That makes time at recess well spent!

When I draw about happy times in my life I almost always have a picture of the sun. Sunshine is something that makes me and my family happy. We all have a responsibility to protect ourselves and the people we love from sun damage. When I apply sunscreen to my face, I also apply sunscreen to my baby sister’s face. She is too young to do it herself. Maybe someday when she goes to school here at Bay Elementary she’ll play under the sun shade my essay won for our school.

We would love to play and have a shaded structure above our heads, we hope you enjoyed a few of many reasons we would like to have a shaded structure for our school.  It would mean a lot to us if we get this shaded structure and now you know why.