Roots Community School New Year Update! 2019
It's amazing how time flies. Welcome to 2019! We enter a new year with a solid group of teachers, support staff, students, families and community volunteers who are working together to provide a phenomenal educational opportunity in the Chelan Valley. We are going to get a jump on 2019 by highlighting how we keep the kids moving here at Roots. P.E. is a new program this year at Roots and thanks to a few dedicated volunteers, it is thriving.
We also have to thank the Chelan Multi-sports Foundation again for their amazing grant that provided so much of our equipment. Students completed a soccer unit this fall and are currently learning skills for basketball. It’s not all dribbling and shooting however. The P.E. program at Roots has been developed to improve students sports skills, overall wellness, gross motor coordination, core strength, hand-eye coordination, impulse control/turn-taking, crossing midline and so much more!
Physical education can impact concentration, executive function, focus, and improve blood flow which all relate to academic performance. P.E. is not only fun, it can improve students academic success, so we knew we had to have it!Yoga continues to be provided to the students this year 1-2 times per week with an emphasis on mindfulness, strength, flexibility, and awareness of one’s own body.
In our overstimulating world with full schedules, some students don’t have many quiet moments to tune into their own bodies and minds. Yoga provides a host of benefits to students, and the students look forward to it as well!
Recess is a priority at Roots as research solidly backs unstructured movement & play to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. A favorite thing about recess in the winter is SNOW! Snow provides endless possibilities for creative minds. Students have the opportunity to sled at Lakeside Park, make snow sculptures, forts, snow angles, roll down the hill etc. Many schools don’t allow sledding, but we encourage it. Sledding provides the opportunity for risk assessment/judgement, taking turns, negotiating, strong vestibular and proprioceptive input, and strengthening as they trek back up the hill.
Students return from recess physically and mentally ready for classroom learning. 2019 has started off great at Roots Community School, both in and out of the classroom. Upcoming blog posts will highlight the academic programs and curriculums that balance out the running and playing!