Trellis School seeks to provide our students with social interactions, community outings, and new experiences with their peers in out-of-school settings. We look for educational opportunities to teach our learners how to interact in meaningful and appropriate ways with their peers within the community.
In an effort to increase our participation with different schools and organizations, we reached out to some elementary schools asking to have some of our older learners participate in social activities at their school. Education Director Reyes Vera has a working relationship with Padonia International Elementary School, and he arranged a visit to the school that coincided with the travelling Whittle equipment came to their school for physical education classes.
Gerstung Movement Education equipment, also known as Whittle equipment, is made in Baltimore, MD and has been a part of Movement Education since the early 60’s. The equipment is used to allow children to refine motor skills and build confidence in creative ways through full body engagement, balance, coordination, and problem solving. Baltimore County Public Schools has a few sets of Whittle equipment that rotate through the school system for a month in physical education classes. Students are challenged to use their imagination in creative ways to traverse the climbing walls, curved bridges, rope walls, ladders and balance beams. The climbing rope is often themed as a way to cross an “alligator-filled” body of water, and students are encouraged to use new ways to climb, move, and explore safely. Tall climbing walls become mountains to overcome and balance beams become ways to escape from fairy tale creatures. When the Whittle Equipment comes to physical education class it’s as if the ultimate playground has come indoors to be conquered.
We want to thank Padonia International Elementary School for inviting us to participate in a few of their gym classes to experience the movement education and chance to exercise our imaginations while practicing social skills through play. We are grateful to have such a good relationship with the elementary schools in our community. Padonia gave our students a unique experience and we look forward to future events with the amazing students and teachers at Padonia. A special thank you to the principal, Melissa DiDonatto, physical education teacher, Gary DeGroat, the 4th grade teachers and students!
