By Krystal Elliott
The Parent Teacher Organization at Estabrook Elementary School is asking the Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education for permission to purchase and install a rock climbing wall, like the one pictured here, in the school’s gymnasium. Photo courtesy of US Games.
YPSILANTI — Students at Estabrook Elementary School could be in for fun treat.
The school’s Parent Teacher Organization has asked the Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education if they can fundraise and install a rock climbing wall in the school. Realizing the benefits that climbing can have for kids, the PTO has done the research and found a 40-foot-wide by eight-feet-tall climbing wall that can be easily installed in the school’s gymnasium.
The parents, who have received support from the school, just need permission from the Board of Education to move forward.
“It seems kind of odd maybe that you’d have a rock wall, but it works tiny minute muscles that you don’t even know you have,” said Jill Clouse, member of the PTO. “The kids get on these walls and they feel like Spider-man. It takes an amazing amount of stamina to go from one side of the wall to the other.”
The rock wall to be purchased will come from US Games. It includes rules and safety guideline signage and 2-inch safety mats that lock in place to block students from climbing on the wall without supervision.
The cost of the rock wall package is $6,214.99. The PTO will save nearly $2,000 by installing the wall themselves, with the help of physical education and school maintenance staff, rather than having it installed professionally.
“There’s so much that can be done with this,” Clouse said. “With this type of system it’s not just climbing. You can have routes set up so that kids have to think ahead where to move.”
Clouse said that rock climbing can be a mental activity just as much as it is a physical activity. She added that it’s great for kids to build individual confidence.
“One out of three students is obese,” she said. “And not every child likes a team sport.”
Since the rock wall is only 8-feet tall, no helmets or harnesses would be necessary for students to climb. There are also guidelines in place that allow the students’ feet to climb no higher than two or three feet from the safety mats on the ground, making it a safe physical activity for school. Continued…
YCS Superintendent Scott Menzel said he ran the proposal by the district’s insurance provider and said that they only recommendation they had was to have it professionally installed. Other than that, he said, it’s a great idea.
Board of Education President David Bates agreed.
“I’m a huge fan. Thank you so much for pursuing this,” he said. “In a day and age when there’s so much emphasis on team sports, it’s really nice to build individual students’ confidence. It’s not just physical benefits but I think it has a lot of academic benefits, too, because kids have to think of how to get from point A to B.”
The Board of Education will make a decision on the proposal at its June 30 meeting.
Krystal Elliott is a multimedia reporter for Washtenaw Now. She can be reached via email at kelliott@digitalfirstmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter and Tout.
The parents, who have received support from the school, just need permission from the Board of Education to move forward.
“It seems kind of odd maybe that you’d have a rock wall, but it works tiny minute muscles that you don’t even know you have,” said Jill Clouse, member of the PTO. “The kids get on these walls and they feel like Spider-man. It takes an amazing amount of stamina to go from one side of the wall to the other.”
The rock wall to be purchased will come from US Games. It includes rules and safety guideline signage and 2-inch safety mats that lock in place to block students from climbing on the wall without supervision.
The cost of the rock wall package is $6,214.99. The PTO will save nearly $2,000 by installing the wall themselves, with the help of physical education and school maintenance staff, rather than having it installed professionally.
“There’s so much that can be done with this,” Clouse said. “With this type of system it’s not just climbing. You can have routes set up so that kids have to think ahead where to move.”
Clouse said that rock climbing can be a mental activity just as much as it is a physical activity. She added that it’s great for kids to build individual confidence.
“One out of three students is obese,” she said. “And not every child likes a team sport.”
Since the rock wall is only 8-feet tall, no helmets or harnesses would be necessary for students to climb. There are also guidelines in place that allow the students’ feet to climb no higher than two or three feet from the safety mats on the ground, making it a safe physical activity for school.
Once the PTO receives approval to move forward, Clouse said they’ll start brainstorming ways to fundraise the costs.
YCS Superintendent Scott Menzel said he ran the proposal by the district’s insurance provider and said that they only recommendation they had was to have it professionally installed. Other than that, he said, it’s a great idea.
Board of Education President David Bates agreed.
“I’m a huge fan. Thank you so much for pursuing this,” he said. “In a day and age when there’s so much emphasis on team sports, it’s really nice to build individual students’ confidence. It’s not just physical benefits but I think it has a lot of academic benefits, too, because kids have to think of how to get from point A to B.”
The Board of Education will make a decision on the proposal at its June 30 meeting.
Krystal Elliott is a multimedia reporter for Washtenaw Now. She can be reached via email at kelliott@digitalfirstmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter and Tout.