See How Other Schools are 'Moving'

Submitted by: Brenda Widerman, 1^st grade teacher

Brenda Widerman wrote a moving story entitled, TAKE 10! The Woodbridge Way, which follows a typical day at Woodbridge Elementary School.  Her students “lit up” when they listened to the story and realized it was a TAKE 10! about “their day.” This is a great idea for other schools/homerooms – they could write a TAKE 10! based on their ordinary activities, making it really enjoyable for their students!

Submitted by: Beth Judy, 4^th grade teacher

Beth Judy, a teacher at Woodbridge Elementary School, has been doing a variety of the activities from the TAKE 10! binder with her students. Her students have been so excited and involved with doing the TAKE 10! activities that they have been “running the show” since the Fall. Her students now write all the action stories and run their TAKE 10! time every day. They really give their class a workout! Read some of Ms. Judy's  students' stories.

CATCH in the Classroom at Sunnyside

Submitted by: Erik Wilson, Physical Education Teacher

After attending CATCH Training, we took a deeper look through the activity cards in the CATCH Activity Boxes and determined that many of the activities could be used by teachers in the classroom. Read more>>

Indoor Recess is CATCH-ing on at Forest Oak

Submitted by: Nancy Nadel, School Nurse

The Forest Oak Wellness Team was concerned that students were not active enough during indoor recess. We used to have a “Fitness Room,” but due to increased enrollment, the space is now needed for a classroom. Read more>>

Running for Health at Highlands

Submitted by: Amy Dunigan

Highlands Elementary students have been running to get healthy. For the past four years, third and forth grade students have been participating in Mighty Milers, a program through the New York Runners Club. Read more>>

After Care Clubs at Downes

Submitted by: Paula Ennis

On any given Friday during the school year, anyone can see the students at Newark Parks & Recreation’s After Care program at Downes Elementary School, engaged in special clubs.  The counselors sign up in advance to offer a variety of clubs. Read more>>

Submitted by: Maxie Gluckman, 5^th Grade ELL and Arden Miller, PE Teacher

Ms. Gluckman has been getting her students moving in a new and innovative way, and the results are inspiring. Ms. Gluckman's fifth grade ELL class has been making weekly trips to the gymnasium during math time to incorporate review and fast fact practice with sprints, jump rope, basketball, and push-ups.  Read more >>

Summer Makeover Promotes CATCH at Mt. Pleasant

Submitted by: Matt Farina, PE Teacher

The second year of the Make School a Moving Experience initiative is off to a wonderful start at Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware.  Throughout the summer months, our physical education teacher, Matt Farina, took on the responsibility of making a place where teachers felt comfortable and not intimidated by the overwhelming amount of CATCH equipment the school had received. Read more >>

Read All About It!

Submitted by: Karen Manniso, PE Teacher

Newark Charter Elementary School has recently added a book case in the library specifically dedicated to healthy lifestyles.  The book case is entitled "Get Healthy NCS," and it has quickly become very popular with all of the students. Read more >>

Saris Cycling Group State Poster Contest Winner

Submitted by: Kelly Walzl

The Related Arts Team at Gallaher Elementary School (consisting of Kelly Walzl, Dana Steinbrunner, Linda Haus, Jan Zimmerman, and Special Education Teacher Kyle Reed), used the 2011 Saris Cycling Group Poster Contest as a way to teach the fifth graders about the importance that bicycles play in their life and community. Read more >>

Ensuring Quality Physical Activity After-School

Providing quality physical activity opportunities for students' after-school is just as important as ensuring that students are active throughout the school day. In order to assess the level of physical activity children are receiving during their programs, after-school providers periodically conduct their own SOFIT observations. SOFIT (The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time) is an objective system for assessing student physical activity levels and lesson context during physical activity time.  Read More >>

from Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Teachers and students at Pulaski Elementary School enjoyed their daily JAMmin' Minutes so much that they decided to expand the opportunities for movement and have decided to pilot "JAMmin' Stations" throughout the school. The stations have been placed in the halls for students and staff to use when they are walking by. Learn More>>

In January 2011, Jones Elementary School expressed an interest in creating “chairless” classrooms at their school in an effort to offer more opportunities for physical activity throughout the school day for their students. Ms. Phyllis Neeves, Physical Education teacher, had already purchased a couple of exercise balls for the fifth grade classrooms, but lacked the funds to purchase them for the remaining classrooms and grades. Learn More>>

submitted by: Robin Moxley, 5^th Grade

Robin Moxley and Patti Bear have been working together in a fifth grade inclusion setting for 16 years. They have worked as a team in three different buildings in the Appoquinimink School District, most recently at Townsend Elementary School for the last nine years. They always have a wide range of abilities in their classroom: learning disabled, autistic, emotionally disturbed, physically handicapped – as well as gifted students, at the other end of the spectrum. Learn More>>

Forest Oak TAKE 10! at 10

Submitted by: Nancy Nadel, School Nurse

After the NHPS Summer Learning Collaborative in 2010, Forest Oak Elementary School decided to adopt the “TAKE 10! at 10” idea from John M. Clayton Elementary School. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the secretary makes an announcement and the entire school participates. Learn More>>

Turning on Brains with Morning Activity

Submitted by: Heather Moore, 3rd Grade

I help my class be more physically active by incorporating a fun and active Morning Exercise Routine.  Every morning in my classroom at East Millsboro Elementary, students know that they will need to be ready to roll. We start our day the same each day from the beginning of the school year to the end.  Learn More>>

Walking Across Delaware at Cedar Lane

Submitted by: Alita Rumph, 2^nd Grade Teacher

At Cedar Lane, we have our Steps Across Delaware map hanging outside of our nurse's office. Each month, I post a sign on it that tells how many times we have walked across Delaware as a school. We track the miles by using our paper Walking Club cards.  Learn More>>

Faculty Fitness Fun at Silver Lake

Submitted by: Eric Trzcinski, PE Teacher

I am on the Wellness Team here at Silver Lake Elementary School, and I figured if an exercise program was readily available right after work, and right at work, my staff would be more inclined to want to exercise. They would also be less inclined to make excuses of not having the time or equipment to make exercise part of their stress-filled week.  Learn more>>

Lulu Ross' Wellness Goal Team

submitted by: Jim Kucharzyk, PE Teacher

A priority at Lulu Ross Elementary School is wellness -- wellness for students and staff. This fall Sylvia Henderson, school principal, established “Goal Teams,” and regular meeting times for teams to meet, plan, strategize, and measure successes of the school’s priority goals. Wellness was important to the school, and staff understood the benefits that healthy lifestyles could have for students, staff and families. Learn More>>

Dancing with the North Stars

Submitted by: Andrea Lanciault, Principal

How do you get 780 elementary school students excited about physical fitness?  Just dance!  Capitalizing on the success of the popular television show. North Star Elementary re-energized our morning exercise program with our own version of “Dancing with the Stars.”  Each day kicks off when Principal Andrea Lanciault turns on the music and students spend one to two minutes dancing to their favorite songs.  Learn more>>