| Author |
Message |
Jim Clairmont (2talll)
New member
Username: 2talll
Post Number: 1
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 8:32 am: |       |
Going to keep this short for now because I tried posting last night to find out this morning that it didn't work right.
Anyway I have a cargo net in my gym (k-2 school) that goes about 9 feet high with 2inch gymmnastics mats underneath. Wednesday a first grader slipped while half way up and broke her wrist and elbow when she tried to catch herself and landed with all her weight on her arm.
The assistant principal and the child's mom both were very understanding about it being an accident becasue the child had climbed dozens of times and is one of the better climbers in school- somehow both her hand and foot slipped at the same time and she fell.
What can I do to make it safer? I don't want to use larger rash mats because I've seen kids mess up knees and ankles landing wrong on them when climbing ropes. Any suggestions? I was thinking of having a discussion with the children about falling and letting the mat do it's job rather than trying to stick their arms down, but other than that I'm not sure what else to do.
I've been teaching for 6 years and this is the first injury other than minor cuts and bruises so everyone is trying to tell me it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I'd rather it not happen again anytime soon.
Thanks |
steve acree (Stephenpe)
Junior Member
Username: Stephenpe
Post Number: 6
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, March 19, 2006 - 4:40 am: | |
Accidents happen. Unfortunately, there are lots of lawyers just waiting to prove that accidents should never happen and ready to reach into the pockets of
municipal govts (your school district). A slide stood on my playground for 25 years with no problems. A boy took a ball on it and rolled over the ball, fell off and was bruised a little. Slide is taken out. We took our K to the local playground, like we had every year, and a little girl got her knee under the merry go round causing a gash needing stitches. I had to sit in a deposition of 3 different lawyers, all getting their $100+ an hour over some stitches. Board finally settled for 15k. You sound like a conscientious PE person. Just always imagine what your most out of control kid might do in your activiteis and act accordingly. I do all kinds of things that my principal cringes at, archery with 4-5th grade, a bike race on field day, even running at school near a sidewalk (but on school grounds). I will admit after the accident at the park and encounter with the lawyers I was ready to let the kids just come out and stand around NEAR me and do nothing
with a remote chance of injury. How about this idea for a crash area. Get all the clothes unclaimed at school the last few years, wash them and stuff them in a very large bag (like a ball pit bag) and put it under your cargo net. |
Jim Clairmont (2talll)
Junior Member
Username: 2talll
Post Number: 5
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, March 19, 2006 - 9:27 am: | |
If it was one of those out of control kids then we would most likely have a big problem. It's those parents that blame us for everything and don't care about how their children act.
Actually the only person that's freaked out so far (other than myself) is the PTO president who told me to be ready to take it down knowing our school disctict. And that's because she's upset that the superintendent won't let them bring in an inflatable obstacle course for my Fun Day because of the liability. The assistant principal said that the mother wasn't upset at all when they talked and wasn't worried about legal problems- she said the first thing "those parents" ask for are written accident reports/etc that they can use later. I called the mother later that night and she seemed very understanding- she just wanted to know exactly what happened because Shelby couldn't remember and was actually worried that she was in trouble because two of the boys tried telling me she jumped off. THese are the same two boys that I caught trying to climb up and OVER the cargo net to try to hang on the basketball hoop, so who do you think I'll beleive?!
We'll see what happens tomorrow when Shelby comes back to school. If something "bad" was going to happen you'd think the principal or even ass't principal would have said something more since Wed?
I like the idea of using the lost and found clothes for extra "padding." God knows we have A LOT of that- I have a pile in the corner of the gym from the past two months that could fill three clothes baskets.
Thanks |
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