New ropes course

10| FEATURES

Ropes course provides adventure, promotes community

Graphics by Kiswa Khan ’23 and Ben Lorenz ’24

Charlotte Berner ’25 Staff Writer

Sophomores at Staples high school returned back to school from summer vacation, ready for another year of kickball games and badminton practices in gym. However, students were shocked to find that Staples has taken Sophomore Cooperative Activities to the next level - a higher level. The Project Adventure Course, standing just under 30 feet tall, has been built both in the fieldhouse and outside of Staples High School. The federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided $63,200 worth of funds to be implemented in the high school’s physical education (P.E.) program. The building process for the course is nearly complete and certain aspects of it are already being used in the sophomore Cooperative Activities class. Students will first try the on-ground portions of the course in their class, such as practicing balance related activities as well as peer cooperation. The aerial portions of the fieldhouse course will be put in use during late winter and the aerial portions of the outdoor course will be opened in early spring.

“The first activity that we did involved walking across wood while touching your classmates and everyone needed to be connected to each other,” Isla Goldberg ’25 said.

“The concept of adventure education has been imple mented at other schools and has been a subject of discussion in Westport for six years. But, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that Staples High School was granted money from federal funds to build the adventure course.

“This is a program that has been requested multiple times by the P.E. department,” Westport Superintendent Thomas Scarice said, “but was never approved in the budget process [until now].”

Training for P.E. teachers that will supervise this course will be held on Nov. 8. This training qualifies the staff to instruct students, as well as teach them important skills and safety throughout the course. Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr. sees this adventure course as a way to introduce skills that he believes are valuable for students.

“It helps a lot with leadership and trust and overcoming a fear of heights. It is also great to be supported by your peers, and you have a great sense of pride to accomplish some of these feats,” Thom as said. The Staples P.E. program consists of many creative activities such as archery or skateboarding. How ever, the ropes course is truly one of a kind. It has a unique ability to bring different types of students together through trust and communication. “I think kids in P.E. fall in a spectrum between athletes and kids uninterested in sports,” Staples gym teacher Jeffrey Doornweerd said. “They all can benefit from learning how to work together, but this [ropes course] takes the athleticism out and focuses on them trying to achieve a common goal.” In addition to the teachers and administrators, Staples students find the concept of the aerial course intriguing. “It’s a good way to get out and try something new,” Selma Abdelsadek ’26 said, “and not many other schools have this, so we are very lucky.”

It helps a lot with leadership, trust and overcoming a fear of heights. It is also great to be supported by your peers and you have a great sense of pride once accomplishing some of these feats.” - Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr.

THE CENTIPEDE Lexie Fass ‘25 grapples her way down the “Centipede” activity, supported by her peers and her belay team. This task builds trust, as well as allows students to conquer fears or nerves.

Graphic by Ben Lorenz ’24 Photo by Paige Tighe ’24

TEAM CLIMBING A belay team consisting of four sophomore girls prepares to work as a unit and prevent injury for their climber, who is beginning the next task. Photo by Phoebe Miller ’23