Moving weight room to school balcony urged to offer view of swimmers
The Cedar Grove-Belgium School District Pool Committee has recommended increasing gym-and-swim to five or six nights a week instead of two and moving the weight room to the balcony that overlooks the swimming pool and middle-school gym.
Weight-room supervisors want to offer weight-lifting classes and set up programs to help individuals achieve their goals, but a better location and equipment are needed, gym and swim coordinator Patti Hinze told the School Board on Dec. 18.
“We need ellipticals that overlook the pool so parents can watch their children while they work out,” she said.
Moving the weight room to the balcony would make it more convenient for the public as well as physical education classes, the report notes.
Board President Jim Lautenschlaeger said it may be time to consider opening another weight room in the high school.
Hinze recommended swim lessons during the school year be expanded and offered to non-district residents.
Currently, winter swim lessons are only available to district residents.
“We filled our winter lessons in 45 minutes,” Hinze said.
She would like to offer parent-child classes and hold special family swim nights when children must be accompanied by a parent or other adult.
The swim lesson fees should be re-evaluated, she said.
“We charge $18 for seven to eight Saturdays, and I think that’s a little cheap,” Hinze said. “You should go to $25. It’s not as good as the summer program because we only meet weekly instead of every day.”
Lifeguard training and water safety instructor classes should be added, the report states.
Hinze would like swimming to be a requirement for graduation.
“They should be able to stay afloat and know basic strokes,” Hinze said. “I think it’s senseless to have a pool and not have a requirement for graduation.”
The pool should be promoted for rent for birthday parties and family reunions to increase usage, the committee recommended.
The committee also recommended water-exercise classes be increased and yoga be offered. An instructor is available on a hourly basis.
Hinze said she checked into offering a band-strengthening class, but it was expensive and she’s not sure people would be interested in it at this time.
One person should be responsible for scheduling the pool and gym, the committee recommended. Sometimes, recreation programs had to be cancelled because an event was scheduled and Hinze wasn’t notified.
The on-line calendar should end those conflicts, said Sue Voskuil, administrative assistant.
Fred Nicora, co-chairman of the pool committee, asked if this is the direction the School Board wants to proceed. The board put $30,000 into the 2012 community services budget.
“I think what you propose is wonderful,” board member Julie Reichle said. “It gets into the overall wellness of the entire community. I think the more physical activity that we can get into our community and schools is a positive thing.”
Lautenschlaeger hesitated, saying the board received the report that night and needs time to study it.
“I don’t think that the board should micromanage and decide what programs should be offered and when,” board member Chad Hoopman said. “I would like to authorize Patti and her people to work it out.”
The board will consider the weight room issue and swim requirement at its Wednesday, Jan. 11, meeting.
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