reTHINKing learning with Active Classrooms

Follow-up from a blog posted in early March

re:TH!NK recently sat down with Principal G (Brenna Garrison-Bruden) from Carl Traeger Elementary in Oshkosh to talk about active classrooms at her school. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our Active Schools initiatives, active classrooms provide students with opportunities for "brain breaks" throughout the school day.

Research shows that kids that are more physically active have:

• higher test scores and attendance
• improved memory, concentration and classroom behavior
• increased capacity for quality learning

re:TH!NK conducted pedometer tests at the beginning of the school year to measure how many steps our 5th grade students were taking. This gives us a snapshot of how active kids are during the school day and the whole day. Principal Garrison-Bruden shares some motivating results with us and explains how important it is for kids to be active while learning.

We are really proud to have grown Active Schools from just 2 pilot schools in the 2011-12 school year, to nearly 20 schools throughout Winnebago County in the 2013-14 school year. We know active classrooms are a great way to incorporate physical activity into the school day without taking away from learning time.

But just don't take it from me (or from the research) take it from our partners at Oshkosh Area School District, the other three school districts in Winnebago County, and the over 5000 students participating in Active Schools.