By

Joann Vukobratovich,   Lake Park Elementary School

Play:

Let's Dance!

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Physical Activity Participation, Student Leadership, Success with Funds,  Teamwork

What do you achieve when you Fuel Up to Play 60 with Collier County Lake Park Elementary (LPE) School? You are able to participate in and celebrate an “Out of this World" kinesthetic academic education! On March 10, the entire LPE school community enjoyed participating in an "Out of this World Dancing with the Stars 60 Minute" Celebration. During the school year, students, administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and the community all worked together to choreograph a historical dance timeline program. Kindergarten and fifth grade students danced a conga, a square dance, a merengue, a jive, and a slow waltz that brought the audience to their feet with applause! With special appreciation and gratefulness to the Fuel Up Play 60 program, LPE was able to consult with Molly Cook, a professional dance instructor from Schools that Rock/World Dance Foundation to work with all grade levels for six weeks to "Fuel Up" and promote the LPE health & physical education "Out of this World" kinesthetic academic long term healthy life style choices philosophy.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

Students and adults positively experienced the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of a collaborative team effort well done as demonstrated on our dance celebration day.

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

We will continue to offer dance as a healthy fitness choice activity center during indoor and outdoor classroom breaks. Additionally, dance will be incorporated into school wide events such as literacy week and field day.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

This event helped support our LPE School Improvement Initiative to promote rigor, differentiated instruction, instructional technology as well as record students' knowledge.