K-4 students are “hopping” before school starts at Jordak Elementary and Cardinal Intermediate schools in the mornings. Gym teacher Mrs. Brodnan has started an exercise club, where students can come into the Jordak gym before class starts in the mornings and get a quick 10 minutes of exercise! “It’s been proven that exercise helps stimulate the brain,” says teacher Sara Brodnan. “This is a quick, easy way to get students alert and ready for learning and it gives them something to look forward to when they arrive at school first thing in the morning!”
Work outs are held four days a week and each grade has a designated day they can attend. The gym is separated into 8-10 workout stations where students complete 30 seconds to one minute worth of an exercise. Stations include things like stretching, jumping jacks, running, hula hoop, pushups, arm circles, jousting, and jump rope. Timed music helps students stay motivated and when the beeps sound, students know to move to the next station. Once all of the stations have been completed, students head to class. Every four times a student attends a workout, they will receive a token that they can wear.
“When Mrs. Brodnan asked me if she could implement this before school, I immediately said ‘yes,’” says Principal Kelly Bearer. “Anything we can do here for these pups to help improve and enhance their classroom experience, we’re all for it.”
