Our Goodbye to The Structure
Comfortable, beloved, playful, creative, old, sturdy, and a little beat up, Sequoyah’s structure was one of the main attractions of the school’s K-8 campus. And, after delighting children, teachers, and parents for generations, the structure has finally come down. Some things have changed on the campus over the years, with windstorms damaging the iconic climbing tree in 2012 and new buildings and basketball court being added during the upper expansion of 2013, but the structure, built under former Head of School Hannah McLaren, remained a constant for the students and alums of Sequoyah’s K-8. Gabe Dahl, a current PE teacher who graduated from the K8* in 2002, remarked that the structure felt like an “anchor point for a lot of alums, especially alums of my generation.”
It is important to note that the structure was replaced for completely valid reasons. It had been around for almost 40 years and there were safety concerns. However, that does not mean its dismantling hurts any less. These are complex feelings and complex times. Sequoyah K8 alum Tingri Monahan ’24 described the change as “the last relic of old Sequoyah leaving.” Kay Yamamoto, former Sequoyah parent and current administrator, voiced her complicated feelings, saying, “I’m a little nostalgic about it…But it’ll be fun to see what the new structure is and how the kids [interact with it].” Some of the youngest Sequoyahns are excited. One kindergartener said they felt “good, because there’s going to be brand new stuff,” while another one was “sad because it’s leaving.” And one first grader felt “really sad because I really like the structure and all the places to play.” K8 alum and SIP Director RJ Sakai said, “It feels like the right moment for a replacement. And I’m confident that new great memories will be [created].”
Others are more vehemently opposed.“This makes me so sad that they are taking away this fundamental part of our childhood,” said K8 alum Lucy Pettit ‘26.–“Not only our childhood, but depriving those of generations to come of the exquisite pain of going home with eight splinters in your feet and still wanting to come back the next day. And they're like, ‘oh, safety code health code.’ I am very upset and I would like to take it up with somebody.” Meanwhile, Omja Moran, another alum, shared that it was “kind of depressing, honestly.”
How do you describe something that means so much to so many people over many generations? You simply cannot: you have to ask everyone possible to give their own unique opinion and compile it into one place. So here goes:
I think it really is the heart of the school. You know what I mean? It does represent who the school is; it is natural, it's old, it's unique, it's a little dangerous, a little beat up, it's creative, it's playful. It's all of the things that we are as a school, so it’s the perfect representation of our school.
Lauren Arroyo, former parent and current teacher at the K8
The structure feels very unique to me because of its height and its style and it feels very old and sturdy in a good way. Like old-dinette in a way of they-don't-make-it-like-this-anymore. It's still very cool that we get to have something like this that's been around for this long and it's still going pretty strong, even though obviously, it's coming down and it should, because it's sinking into the ground. But up until this point, I would say it…felt very much like “Oh, wow, we have this old structure that was built to last in history.” It feels right now as a teacher I think about or when I think about describing what's great about it is it has such a nice place of little cozy hiding spots and big open areas to run and jump and climb. And it's a very nice mix of all of that.
Erin Bates, K8 alum and current teacher
Big-ass building, alright, imagine that. The first time I ever saw it I think I was doing the Sequoyah summer program so it was summer after fifth grade and I was like “whoa holy sh*t that's really cool.” Chandler didn’t really have anything like that.
Connor Dencik ’25, K8 alum
It’s like a magical woodland. It's very natural. It's sort of fairy-like, it's very naturey. It's very inviting. I like that it's not just plastic and a bunch of rainbow colors—nothing against rainbows—just I'm glad it's not a bunch of bright colors. It's just very appealing to look at. And it goes really well with the greenery in the background. So yeah, magical woodland is what I'm going for.
Harper Gowen ’26, K8 alum
It's the best thing in the world except cookie dough ice cream and the COVID vaccine. It's really large. It has the biggest slide I've ever seen in a school playground. It's old, I will admit that it's getting on in years but it's like wine and cheese: it gets better as it ages. And it used to have sand and then somebody decided that we had to put wood chips on it. And I still hold a grievance about that.
Lucy Pettit ’26, K8 alum
It was my favorite place to hang out as a kid…I loved the structure. It is definitely a bit more of an unconventional play area compared to most of other big, fancy private schools. And I really like that about it. I know that they're removing it for safety hazard reasons, but I think that it kind of demonstrates an end to the rustic, hippie, potentially unsafe Sequoyah that once was.
Tingri Monahan ’24, K8 Alum
As a grown-up, I sometimes still go on the structure, and it doesn't really bring back that many memories. Except when I go to the very top, I suddenly get transported back to being a little kid when I'm up there. And there's not very many places on campus I can go to where I get those memories of being a kid because I've been everywhere on this campus as an adult. But when I go to the top of the structure, that's a place that I only went to as a kid.
Gabe Dahl, K8 alum, Assistant Director of Athletics and P.E. teacher
It just seemed like such a deeply happy place and I kind of felt that from just walking through the patio and the structure and the whole. That’s my most vivid feeling.
Emily Singer, current Sequoyah parent and administrator
I think it provides a lot of adventure and fun for kids and unlike other play structures or playgrounds that you might see at a playground or a park you know…our structure is neutral in form. And I think it leaves more opportunities for creativity and imagination, in a good way.
RJ Sakai, K8 alum, Director of Social Innovation and Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Just as everyone’s perceptions of the structure differ, so do their experiences of it. The following stood out to people as their favorite aspects of the structure:
One of the things that I love about the structure is watching the new kids every year. The kindergarteners come in and they go to those monkey bars and they start off maybe just standing there looking at them and then gradually, maybe, they'll try one. And then they kind of drop-down, and then they'll try a few more, and then one day they have the whole thing, and they're just so proud of themselves and so happy. And it happens every year.
Kay Yamamoto, former Sequoyah parent and current administrator
I really liked sitting and watching other people play Lava Monster. I mean there are so many things like when [Rachel] and I used to go on the swings and we would swing all around and Peter Romano nearly had a brain aneurysm because he thought that we were going to die. When we would climb up and down the structure and run around with Sadie and play hide and go seek tag.
Lucy Pettit ’26, K8 alum
I really have enjoyed watching kids get over their fears…a lot of kids have gotten over their fears by challenging themselves and taking risks. And I've loved watching kids progressively get better at monkey bars and the growing of their skills as they started being more fearless and gaining strength.
Lauren Arroyo, former parent and current K8 teacher
I always was interested in climbing down the structure. I know you're not supposed to do that but one day when we had parent teacher conferences, and there was no one there, I did get to climb down to that middle portion of structure… Also, playing Lava Monster on the structure was always fun. You go on the kind of wobbly bridge and there's a Lava Monster. It’s like a tag, you're it, sorta floor-is-lava type situation and that was always really fun.
Harper Gowen ’26, K8 alum
I think for me, the biggest thing was just being an older kid, even in the junior high, and still finding a lot of comfort going on the swings. And I think that's almost more significant because plenty of younger kids are on the structure all the time but I do remember very distinctly being aware of like, it's pretty cool that I can come and swing on the swings as an eighth grader and it's very comforting to me and I am allowed to do that. I can do that. I want to do that. And I remember…swinging on the swings as an eighth grader and trying to still get my feet to the top of the pepper tree leaves. And I remember as an eighth grader being like, “Oh, this is what it felt like as a little kid.”
Erin Bates, K8 alum and current teacher
Something that was present throughout so many of the stories people shared was community, joy, and that very special way the structure made people feel:
I joined the K8 really late. So I never had a designated time when I was on the lower, on the structure all the time. But I do remember one time that Chris took us down to play on this structure. And that was the time that I learned how to play Lava Monster. And that was such a formative memory for me… knowing that I was really part of the community and being there with all the friends that I had made in the six months that I've been [at Sequoyah].
Atlas James ’25, K8 alum
You could say it's past its prime now, but I'll remember it kind of fondly as maybe like the Weasley’s house, “The Burrow” in Harry Potter. There's things about it that aren't perfect, but that's kind of why we liked it.
Gabe Dahl, K8 alum, Assistant Director of Athletics, and current P.E. teacher
You know, one of the things I love about it is during Anza [Borrego], the structure is taken over by the big kids. I find that very, very sweet every year. Because they don't really play any differently than the little kids do, but they don't go anywhere near the structure when the little kids are around.
Emily Singer, current Sequoyah parent and Director of Teaching and Learning
Full of splinters and nostalgia.
Lucy Pettit ’26, K8 alum
It makes me feel really really nostalgic and really happy–I had a lot less going on, a lot less stress, a lot less knowledge, when I was little and it just holds a lot of memories…I'm gonna miss it greatly. But I also recognize that change needs to happen both because of safety concerns and because of how expensive it would be to try to preserve it, but I'll definitely miss it. And I also think, it's good.
Harper Gowen ’26, K8 alum
How can you remember such an important place after it’s gone? It’s a question that has so many answers:
I’ll probably close my eyes and remember it as a silhouette. It’s very iconic. You don't see playgrounds or structures like that anymore…I’m not sure if the new one will resemble any part of it like that, but I'll remember it just from a visual.
RJ Sakai, K8 alum and Director of Social Innovation and Co-Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
I’ll remember the splinters I got, the copious amounts of splinters.
Connor Denick ’25, K8 alum
I will remember it fondly. I spent many, many, many hours of my formative years on the structure and I never forget them.
Tingri Monahan ’24, K8 alum
I will remember the structure of the day where we shot that eighth grade video and we got to climb up and down everywhere and go on the slide. And there was a very awkward shot of me, like grinning, creepily. I don't know why I looked like Steve Buscemi, but I kind of did. But anyway, I'm like grinning my creepy Steve Buscemi grin from the monkey bars and thinking I'm so happy, this place is my home, and I never want to leave. And the thing is, I haven't but it's leaving me…I can only go back to that first day and think wow, this is huge and amazing. I can't wait to be a part of it.
Lucy Pettit ’26, K8 alum
I'll remember how unique it was…it's just such a unique, evocative of Sequoyah, structure. So I think I'll remember it for that. And I'll remember all the stories I came up with my friends on there.
Harper Gowen ’26, K8 alum
A really summative memory is watching the kids go down the slide on the last day of school, a waterslide with Ben, helping them when they [went] too fast, and splashing into the woodchips and launching kids off of that slide. And just seeing how happy they [were]. And something that was so simple, just putting a hose down that slide and they could do it for hours happily and it was the most fun thing that they got to do all year long. And I loved watching that as a teacher and I love seeing the anticipation of them knowing they got to do that on the last day of school and then just the joy. I feel like that can only happen with that giant insane slide and the way that the structure was built and set up. And that has been something that I feel like has stuck with me.
Erin Bates, K8 alum and current teacher
Finally, what comes next? RJ Sakai hopes that “going forward is that we can cherish our past and hold our memories dear, but not let it prevent us from welcoming new generations of Sequoyah students and families.” Atlas James, another K8 alum, voiced that the “aesthetic of the structure” is really important, including materials like “that dark wood. I hope they keep that aspect.” Tingri Monahan shared similar concerns, expressing that she hopes “that it gets more safe, the safety is good. And I hope the new structure is not too ugly. So that's my biggest worry.” Teacher Erin Bates shared: “my hope is that it lasts a really long time and it becomes a part two of the history of the Sequoyah structure.” Lauren Arroyo, former Sequoyah parent and current teacher, agued that the environment the structure created is what made it special, and so she would “love [the new structure] to have the same feeling. I would love it to create a space for big kids and little kids to all come together and still be playful…it invites creative play sharing and conflict resolution. I mean, really, it's just such a heart of where all that happens.” K8 alum Harper Gowen echoed the desire for the preservation of magic: “In come new generations of Sequoyah students, so I hope that whatever changes there are and whatever becomes of the structure it is just as magical and wonderful for everyone on the campus.”
For many Sequoyah alums, the structure leaving feels like a distinct change in the times. But from the wonderful memories, to the injuries, to the unique and creative play, to the many splinters that K8 office manager Betty Chavez helped us survive (Thank you so much Betty! No one would have survived that thing without you!), the structure will be a hard thing to forget. As Lauren Arroyo–or as we know her, Lauren–puts it, “I'll always remember the structure, that image that cannot be erased from my brain. I know every nook and cranny of it. You know, I know so much of its space. It's one of those things that are probably just gonna live in my brain forever. I don't think I can ever not remember the structure. And that'll be so nice.”
*Note: When referring to Sequoyah’s K-8 as a school, we are calling it “the K8” to honor the fact that it has achieved noun status within the community. “The K8” signals that the name of the lower campus encapsulates more than an age range and embodies both an idea and a place of belonging.