Students at Carlton High School elevated physical education to new heights on Monday.
Dave Esse's physical education classes and Jeremy Canfield's environmental studies classes headed out to the school parking lot to try their hand at a rock climbing wall supplied by the United States Army.
Staff Sergeant William Slease, who organized the day-long fitness "encounter," said he first talked with faculty member Sharrie Janovick last summer about how his group of Army volunteers could come into the classroom and provide some sort of educational experience for students outside their regular realm of class work.
Slease explained that he and all of the Army staff members working with him have degrees in various disciplines, and they are assigned to some 40 schools throughout northeastern Minnesota and Wisconsin, with an eye toward utilizing their skills to create various forms of educational outreach for students.
"When Ms. Janovick heard that we have a portable rock climbing wall," said Slease, "She said, 'You have to talk with Mr. Canfield - he's our resident rock climber!"
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As it turns out, in addition to Canfield's creative approach to environmental studies in the classroom, he also takes a group of students rock climbing a couple of times a month, and he was very excited about having the opportunity for more students to experience what it's like
Slease said the rock climbing experience not only helps young people experience a new form of physical exercise but it also teaches them a lot about applying themselves to a task and sticking with it, as well as about teamwork in helping each other to succeed.
"A lot of the kids were scared to climb at first," said Slease, "but their classmates cheered them on."
Sgt. Slease, who has served three tours of duty in Iraq, talked with some of the students about adapting to extreme environments, such as the climate, weather and insects encountered in the sandy desert country of Iraq.
In addition to the climbing wall, the Army staffers set up a simulated first aid field station and demonstrated various triage situations, in which students were invited to take part.
Staff Sergeant Mackenzie Dickson, a trained paramedicand part of the Army's Ranger Program, demonstrated to one class of students the process of manual stabilization and transport of a victim who has sustained a critical back injury out in the field. Two student volunteers assisted him in the maneuver as he explained the various steps necessary in strapping the victim to a gurney and keeping his head, neck and back immobile to prevent further injury.
An Army Humvee vehicle was also on display for students to examine during Monday's visit.
Pine Journal Publisher/ reporter Wendy Johnson can be contacted at: wjohnson@pinejournal.com .
