Van Allen students add rock climbing to PE class

Six-year-old Brady Reynolds easily scaled the new climbing wall in the gym at Van Allen Elementary School.

'It's high and my hands are tired and it's not tricky for me,” Reynolds said as he got back in line to climb across the eight feet tall, 40-feet-wide rock wall.

The ribbon cutting for the new climbing wall was held just before literacy night at Van Allen on Tuesday, Nov. 27, bringing many students out after school to test their climbing skills for the first time.

Van Allen students Bryah Gnann, Natalie Arnold and Kialyah Grice helped Van Allen Principal Don LeBlanc with the ribbon cutting.

'I've been rock climbing, but I'm not so good at it,” seven-year-old Gnann said. 'I'm hoping to get better.”

'It's about getting you stronger,” seven-year-old Arnold said.

The wall was purchased with grant money from the Rotary Foundation, Mt. Pleasant Evening Rotary, the Van Allen Elementary School PTA and funds from SWITCH, a program through the Iowa State Extension Office designed to help students adopt healthy lifestyles.

The grant application was submitted by Mt. Pleasant Evening Rotary District 6,000 at the request of LeBlanc, a member of Evening Rotary.

The total cost for the climbing wall was $8,500.

Van Allen exercise science teacher Lisa Lowery said the climbing wall is great exercise for students and helps them stretch, develops hand-eye coordination, builds muscle and is just plain fun.

'I think it appeals visually because it's something big, new and has a lot of colors,” Lowery said. 'It builds confidence for kids who are afraid to try new things. I think it will help them exercise and not even really realize it.”

The wall does not require students to be harnessed in to climb but there are thick mats below for when falls occur. Lowery said she will help the younger students get the hang of it by walking behind them as they climb for the first few times. She also will make sure they are spaced out on the wall, so they are not running into each other. The intent is that students climb from one side to the other instead of up.

Lowery, who has taught in the district for 18 years, said it is getting harder to motivate students to participate in gym class. The wall is something new they can try and get excited about.

On Tuesday with the wall wrapped in a ribbon for the ribbon cutting ceremony later that day, students were already clamoring to start climbing, Lowery said.

While it would have been nice to get the wall at the beginning of the school year, Lowery said it's almost better it was installed now during the winter when kids can't play outside as often.

Members of Evening Rotary were helping students learn to climb the wall Tuesday night.

Evening Rotary member Rachel Litwiller said the first student she helped was very hesitant the first time climbing across the 40-foot-long wall. The second time, she just went for it.

'It builds self-confidence. It takes a lot of upper body strength,” Rachel said.

Cal Litwiller, a member of Evening Rotary, said that the club began putting money that used to go toward students' scholarships toward bigger projects a few years ago to help out a larger number of students. Evening Rotary helps fund around 30 projects a year across Mt. Pleasant, Cal said.

'It's an honor for us as Rotary to be a part of this program,” Cal said.

'It's a safe way for them to get their energy out,” Evening Rotary president Mersihda Dyer said.

Van Allen is the second school in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District to get a climbing wall. Lincoln Elementary debuted their climbing wall last year.