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Physical education safety being reviewed in District 196Posted: 5/2/03 by Brett Andersen District 196 was prompted to review student safety standards in physical education classes when a student fell and broke his leg. The student fell approximately 25 feet from a rope he was climbing as part of class activities. Susan Bradley, the studentís mother, addressed the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District Board of Education to demand the development and implementation of districtwide safety standards. According to Bradley, her son fell to a mat about an inch thick after making it to the top of the rope. She said he broke both bones in his lower left leg. Bradley said she and her husband were ìhorrified by the appalling disregard for safetyî in the incident. She said students as young as first-grade were allowed to free climb the rope ó which was two high, a student held the bottom of the rope steady which risked the health of two students, the mat was too thin and there was ìno direct adult supervision.î She said she was happy with the responsiveness of District Coordinator of Elementary Education Jane Berenz for beginning the process. Bradley said she was surprised to learn that no one in the district oversees physical education and safety measures are a site responsibility. She suggested that someone with the technical expertise should be placed in charge of overseeing the districtís physical education programs. Berenz said that the district does not currently have a district standard but each school maintains safety requirements. Safety is the foremost priority for schools, she said. ìWeíve had a lot of safety precautions in place,î said Berenz, ìbut weíre always looking to make it safer.î Thomas Lake Elementary Principal Mary Jelinek said, ìAnytime there is an accident we review what weíve done.î Jelinek said the incident is being viewed as an accident and no action is being taken against the physical education instructors. Students are taught the fundamentals of rope climbing and do not climb in the first lesson, according to Jelinek. Berenz said that not every student climbs to the top, students climb according to the level of their ability. Instructors do watch students and assess a studentís capacity to climb. According to Berenz, she has engaged in several constructive discussions with the Bradleys. Both the district and the family have researched various physical education techniques and precautions and discussed the results. ìI think weíre in agreement on some of the changes that we need to make,î said Berenz. Changes being discussed include adding a student height restriction, a minimum mat depth and not allowing students to hold the bottom of the rope. -- Check out this week's newspaper for more details. © Thisweek Newspapers |
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