Students at Cedar Springs Elementary School in House Springs have been reaching new heights in their physical education classes.
The school’s Parents and Teachers Organization (PTO) donated a climbing wall that’s 8 feet high and 60 feet wide to the school, which has been installed in the gym.
Cedar Springs is the only school in the Northwest R-1 School District with a climbing wall, Principal Cynthia Spurgeon said.
It covers one wall in the room, former PTO president Tonya Graham of Byrnes Mill said.
“They’re not climbing it to go high,” Spurgeon added.
PE teacher James Maxey, known as Coach to students, said Jan. 11 was the first day the students got to climb on the wall.
“From kindergarten through fifth grade, they were all excited,” he said. “First and second grade, those kids loved it the most. They are right at the age that they’re small enough and strong enough that they all can be up and down the wall.”
Maxey said he plans to use the wall as part of a unit in gym class.
The wall also will be used during indoor recess.
“I will use it as much as I can,” Maxey said.
He said every student has tried out the wall.
“I had a few of them say that they’re afraid of heights, but they’re not afraid of (the wall) because you’re not that high off the ground,” he said.
Spurgeon said she is excited about the addition to the school.
“It’s just another experience for kids to get out there to use their muscles and their skills and navigate the wall,” she said.
Graham said the wall cost about $7,700.
“When I took over as the PTO president, my goal was to not only have something fun for the children, but something that maybe not every child could experience outside of school,” she said.
Graham said the money was raised during a schoolwide fun run in May 2021. She said many local businesses purchased sponsorships for the run, and parents and community members donated money to the cause.
Graham said she is no longer PTO president at Cedar Springs since her two children have moved on to Valley Middle School.
Spurgeon said the wall came with large foam pads, which lie below the wall to provide protection in case a student falls.
Graham said the wall also came with accessories to make it a climbing obstacle course.
Maxey said the wall also came with hula hoop holders and bars that attach to the wall.
“They can either crawl through the hula hoop or over it while they’re on the wall,” he said.
Spurgeon said Maxey and the PTO came up with the idea for the wall.
“I never in a million years would have thought about putting a rock climbing wall in the gym,” she said.
“I just hope it is an added element to their physical fitness and building courage,” Graham said.
District Superintendent Desi Kirchhofer said he is happy with the new climbing wall.
“I think anytime you can add something to engage kids it is a good thing,” he said.
First-grade student Jaxson Barrett, 6, of House Springs said he enjoyed the challenge of climbing sideways instead of up.
“He had so much fun and the whole class had so much fun,” Jaxson’s mom, Mandi Barrett said.
Mandi said she was happy to see last year’s fundraising efforts bring something unique to the school.
Maxey said he feels lucky this year because his PE program not only saw the addition of the climbing wall but also received free bikes so kids can learn how to ride in gym class.
The school received 25 bikes and helmets on Nov. 22 from the Living Life on 2 Wheels nonprofit organization.
“It is nice because COVID has been not fair for anybody and horrible in a lot of ways, so it’s nice to have something good along with it,” Maxey said.
He said one group of Cedar Springs students is a bit jealous about all the donations.
“The fifth graders are peanut butter and jealous because they are leaving,” Maxey said.