D93’s P.E. program teaches students skills for life

In school, kids learn many things and most of them are taught while they’re being told to stay quiet and still. The P.E. program that is being taught in elementary schools in Bonneville Joint School District 93 encourages kids to do the exact opposite.

Dribbling a ball, jumping with a jump rope, and learning to move the body are some skills that students in 3rd to 6th grade are learning once a week for thirty minutes during P.E.

“We’re working on teamwork, communication, cooperation, a lot of group activities, as well as teaching them lifelong healthy active skills,” said Tiebreaker Elementary P.E. teacher, Summer Stone.

For a time, lack of funding prevented the district from being able to offer P.E. To their students, but knowing the importance of the skills to be learned, individuals like Summer Stone stepped in to help.

“I was a volunteer, I came into my children classes and helped teach their P.E. Classes for their teachers,” said Stone.

Three years ago a levy helped bring the active class back, which encouraged kids to get off their screens and onto the green.

“I think it’s really empowering for some of these kids that don’t do the sports to be able to actually like movement and P.E.,” said one of D93’s P.E. coordinators, Julia Abbott.

The class follows a program called spark, which according to their website, is focused on the development of healthy lifestyles, motor skills, movement knowledge, and social and personal skills.

“So we talk to them about how their heart rates improving, when we do activities they monitor their heart rate, and what is that doing. So we’re really wanting them to have a little ownership in their exercise and their behaviors, and to find some enjoyment in it and things that they would want to continue to do later on and throughout life,” said Stone.

Abbott says that physical activity helps the students perform better in the classroom as well, “More kids move the better they actually do in school, there’s tests on that.”

In this class, you can expect to move your body, make friends, learn skills to a healthy life, and if you’re lucky, you might find yourself in a giant colorful bubble with your classmates.