Students exercising their imaginations
San Antonio school’s obstacle course also offers opportunities for them to problem-solve and build language, principal says
A handful of students got called to the principal’s office at Huppertz Elementary School early in the morning.
Usually that’s not a good sign. But when the kids got there, they found out they weren’t in trouble; instead, they were asked to test the brand-new equipment on the school’s playground.
“They were just thrilled beyond belief,” Huppertz Principal Linda Rios-Garcia said. “I had such a great time out there just watching them collaborate.”
Rios-Garcia wanted the obstacle course to have bright colors, inspiring students to use their imaginations while going through upgraded monkey bars, giant rings staggered at different heights and more to avoid touching “the water” below, a blue-carpeted river running through the outdoor area, complete with yellow “fish.”
The course, intended for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, features nets to climb, posts to jump, rope swings to leap from platform to platform — some of the obstacles require working together to get through. The equipment was chosen by the school’s former Ironman coach, the principal said.
“When students are involved in unstructured play, they actively engage in authentic conversations during which they build upon their oral language skills, listen with purpose, acquire new vocabulary, think creatively and problem-solve on their own terms,” Rios-Garcia said.
The kids will play on the obstacle course during physical education class, in which their gym teachers will instruct them on how to use each piece of equipment and time them through the course. Kids will also be able to play on the equipment in an unstructured way during their 15minute recesses.
Of the 288 students currently enrolled at the school, only 77 are attending in-person classes at the moment, the principal said. To help keep recess safe, staff are sanitizing equipment before and after use and students are required to wear masks.
The new playground complements the school’s recent designation as an International Baccalaureate World School, one of just seven campuses in the San Antonio Independent School District to score the acclaimed designation. These schools provide students and teachers with a more challenging and rigorous learning environment.
Cielo DeHoyos, 10, is currently learning from home but has seen the obstacle course when driving by with her mother, April DeHoyos.
The fourth-grader said the new equipment reminded her of the obstacle courses on the competition TV show “American Ninja Warrior.”
“She’s extremely excited,” said April DeHoyos, 32. “She thinks she’s going to be the next American Ninja Warrior.”
State grant money also was used to purchase new flexible classroom seating, physical education equipment, classroom supplies, cafeteria furniture and technology such as computers, iPads, webcams, smartboards and a sound system.