After school on Wednesdays is pretty awesome for 4th graders at William Ramsay Elementary School in Alexandria. The students, who belong to the Move2Learn Movement Club that’s led by our partner, School Nurse Jodi Bobbitt, meet until 4 p.m. for activities like dance, yoga and hiking and time to refresh and reset.
A diversity of nationalities, languages and abilities, the kids work together to make the most of their time. In addition to Ms. Bobbitt, other adult assistants include the school physical therapist, a special education teacher and a PE teacher.
For their final session this semester, the club is going to a local swim club. Most of the students have never been there, so they’re really excited. Parents and siblings are invited, too! Expanding the movement connection to home and families—we love that!
The Movement Club at Ramsay Elementary School is one of 20 Move2Learn Outside the Classroom programs.
For the past year, our one-of-a-kind Outside the Classroom programs like the Movement Club have been a huge success. They’re key to not only the well-being and social-emotional health of our students, they’re absolutely key to their academic growth.
We have 10 new and 10 returning programs across Alexandria. Here’s what makes them unique:
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- Most of the students participating in our programs are hand selected by their teachers because they’ve been identified as struggling in school. Teachers make our programs part of a student’s success plan;
- Our programs are led by our teacher, counselor and other school partners who have key relationships with students and know and understand their complex needs. These trusted connections support students’ sense of belonging and get kids eager to get to school on time and to stay there; and
- Like all of our work, our Outside the Classroom programs teach students how to recognize and manage stress, anxiety and other strong emotions using movement. Understanding that body-mind connection helps them overcome feelings that get in their way of learning.
Other awesome reasons our programs are so special? They’re FREE to students and take place right at the schools, removing barriers like cost and transportation! Plus, we make sure everyone has essentials they need to participate like shoes, socks, sports hijabs and sports bras. Equipment is needed for all the activities so we supply that, too: Items like yoga mats, jump ropes and lacrosse sticks. And we provide teachers ongoing and onsite assistance—we do everything to make them feel supported!
