By Angela Pometto
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 5/20/04)

A whistle blows and the students all run to the rock wall that lines one side of the gym. There is excitement in the air as they jump onto the wall, knowing well the routine. There are two lines on either side and for the first few minutes of gym class, they climb like monkeys across the wall. Every now and then, they lose their grip and come crashing to the padded floor, but the kids shrug off the fall and run to get back in line and try again. Little do they know, they are building their upper body strength.

St. Leo the Great School in Fairfax has invested in the rock wall to help the kids with just that.

"It’s adventure fitness. They want to conquer the wall," said Scott Allen, physical education teacher. "This is the new wave of physical education. You put it in the hands of the students to figure it out."

He said the kids enjoy the challenge while they learn coordination and problem solving. They enjoy relays or games with the wall. For example, one partner will be blindfolded while the other has to explain where and how to step.

"They don’t realize it, but they’re building upper body strength while not thinking about it," Allen said.

The wall "came out of a desire to meet needs of the students for upper body strength," said Diane Drews, principal of St. Leo School. She said that the wall has been more advantageous than expected. A larger number of students are able to participate at the same time and they "love every minute of it," she said.

This is the first "Rock Realistic" wall installed in the country, according to Allen. Reaching only 8 feet high, the students climb horizontally across the wall, which is actually more difficult. The wall is easy to care for. The pads that keep it covered when not in use also serve as safety mats when the kids are climbing. The knobs are moveable so the course can be different almost every time the kids climb it.

The wall has three options on the difficulty of the climb. The color-coded knobs let kids decide how challenging they want to make it. The green is easy, yellow is medium and red is most difficult.

"This has been a great addition to our school," said Allen. "It’s something that doesn’t get old with the kids."