Story Photos
 Kalama Elementary School fourth-graders Cameron Walker, 10, and Holly Korpinen, 9, crawl across the new climbing wall in the gym Wednesday. Fellow students Jacob Posey, 9, and Keity Specht are "spotting" the climbers in case they fall. Greg Ebersole / The Daily News
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New addition has Kalama elementary students climbing the walls
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 11:58 PM PDT
By Leila Summers
Printable version
E-mail this articleKALAMA — A new piece of gym equipment has students and staff climbing the walls with excitement at Kalama Elementary School. Although students are finding it fun, the school’s new horizontal climbing wall is no “easy A.”
“Make sure you have your balance with your feet before you move your hands,” Kalama P.E. teacher Darcy Campbell warned a student who was about to fall off Wednesday morning.
Climbing walls are a growing trend across the country and offer Kalama students with a year-round activity, Campbell said. Part of the reason she suggested the school get one was “I wanted something for kids to do in winter.”
The key to maneuvering the 40-foot long wall is to keep your feet on separate footings, she said. The wall arrived in late July and is getting its first group of climbers with the start of school this week.
Moving across the wall tests a climber’s coordination and improves upper and lower body strength, Campbell said.
Students seem to be natural at climbing, Campbell said. Although she hasn’t seen any teachers try it yet, several have expressed interest, she said.
“Not yet, but they’re dying to. We might have a little open-gym time for the classroom teachers,” she said.
There are three ability levels designated by green (easiest), yellow and red (most difficult) footings. Campbell said she can switch footings and create a hundred different exercises.
“I can change this whole wall and map out new routes,” she said.
Hoops can also be attached to the wall for students to climb through as they move across, she said. Campbell also is planning an exercise to have climbers place tennis balls atop cones on the floor while still clinging to the wall.
She also wants students to practice shadowing each other and working as a team.
“There’s a tendency with kids, they want to be the first,” she said. The wall teaches them to slow down a bit, she added.
The rules for the wall are simple: everyone must keep their legs on the lower half of the wall and have a spotter while climbing.
Being a spotter can be a tricky job, said 9-year-old Jacob Posey. He doesn’t advise catching a faller.
“Don’t catch them or they will smoosh you,” he said.
Safety mats on the floor also fold up over the wall to lock it when Campbell is away.
Safety has been a big selling point of the wall, she said.
“I tell parents your child will never be higher than that back of the couch,” she said.
Superintendent Jim Sutton said climbing walls are a new trend in schools — replacing climbing ropes of yesteryear — and are a hit with students.
“(It’s) something that’s really popular with young people,” he said.
Funding for the $8,600 wall came from a Walk-for-Funds fundraiser last spring (which raised less than half the total), money gifted to the school from the producers of the “Twilight” movie filmed on campus last year and from the general fund, Sutton said.
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