By

richard wilson,   Clara E Westropp Elementary School

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Let's Dance!

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Physical Activity Participation

All our students have 20 minutes of recess every day. The 20 minutes are in conjunction with lunch. Before or after lunch, students will have an opportunity to play on the outdoor playground or go to the gym and play soccer, basketball or gymnastics. However, this year we incorporated ballroom dancing into the recess time for our 5th graders. A dance instructor from Dancing Classrooms visited our school twice a week for ten weeks to teach our 5th grade students dances like the Tango, Fox Trot, and Rumba! Best part yet, there was a curriculum component attached to each dance lesson taught.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

The students involved in the Ballroom Dancing Program learned to be better posed and elegant. The students also learned to be respectful to the classmates/dance partners. Teachers reported that a few student with very negative attitudes have improved their behavior to more positive and less disruptive. The teachers have also become more award of the importance of incorporating physical activity into the curriculum.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

The major challenges we have is finding more resources and sources to continue programs such as Dancing Classrooms. To overcome these challenges we are continuously reaching out to our community for support. That is how we found FUTP60.

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