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Book Brings Students To New Heights

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By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: January 10, 2009

WESLEY CHAPEL - At Weightman Middle School, the students and teachers endeavor to persevere - even if that means climbing 26 feet up a fake rock wall in an effort to identify with a fictional character.

"My mouth is dry and my arms are sore," said a nevertheless jubilant Sarah Shackett, 13, after she successfully scaled the wall, which was set up Friday at the school.

Rock climbing served as the latest way for Weightman Middle School to celebrate its One Book, One Community program, in which the entire school read "Peak" by Roland Smith, the tale of Peak Marcello, a teenager who attempts to become the youngest person ever to scale Mount Everest.

Assistant Principal Kirsten Joyer said the staff chose "Peak" because perseverance was the theme for this year's One Book, One Community effort and the story fit that theme perfectly.

"A lot of kids have things they have to overcome," Joyer said. "One of our questions is, 'What is your Everest?'

"
Language arts teachers read the book to their classes and the school scheduled several events to drum up interest among students, parents and staff.

Weightman hosted a breakfast book talk and invited parents to participate. Students competed in a game called "Who Wants to Be a Mountaineer?" The game was fashioned after TV's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and students had to answer questions about "Peak."

Students also took a field trip to the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa, where they viewed a movie about climbing Mount Everest.

The most challenging book tie-in, though, came Friday when Rockwall Adventures of Winter Park set up the wall at the school and students and faculty tried out their climbing skills. The students who got the chance to climb were those who fared well in "Who Wants to Be a Mountaineer?"

The PTSA helped pay for the use of the wall.

The rock wall had four climbing stations, each progressively more difficult. Teachers and students referred to the wall's most difficult section as "Everest."

Sarah Shackett, an eighth-grader, said climbing the wall gave her a new appreciation for the challenges the boy in the novel faced.

"That's nothing compared to how high he went," Sarah said.

Casey Bowers, 14, said originally he was unimpressed with what Peak endured.

"I thought he was just climbing," Casey said. "It's harder than it looks."

Several students made it to the top of the wall, where they pressed a button that sounded out their success. Others came tantalizingly close.

"It's easy in the beginning, but harder as you go," said Julius Byla, 13.

Luis Juarbe, 15, demonstrated the perseverance theme on his successful trip to the summit. He slipped twice, but each time regained a hold and continued.

"I was surprised I made it," Luis said.

Some students, such as Jonathan Leon, 13, and Chase Burt, 13, said they had climbed rock walls before, but this one was tougher.

"The grips are hard to get," Chase said. "Toward the top there are less grips and they're all angled down."

Courtney Boundy, 13, and Shannon Gibbons, 13, said those tilted grips were tough to deal with.

"When you get halfway up there you don't know what piece to hold onto to get up," Shannon said.

Ann Shanks, the school's reading coach, also launched an assault on the wall.

More than halfway up, she faltered.

"OK, I am seriously out of my comfort zone right now," Shanks said.

"What would Peak do, Ms. Shanks?" Joyer, safely on the ground, shouted.

"What would Peak do?" Shanks repeated. "He would take a breath and go, I guess."

A moment later, she reached the top.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218.

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