Students in grades K-4 are "hopping" before school starts in the morning...
Morning Exercise Class
Students in grades K-4 are “hopping” before school starts in the morning. Gym teacher Sara Brodnan has started morning workouts at the elementary school four days a week.
On their designated day, students can go straight to the gym once they arrive at school for their 10-minute workout. Students go through eight to 10 workout stations, where they complete 30 seconds to 1 minute worth of an exercise. Stations include things like stretching, jumping jacks, running, hula hoop, pushups and jump rope.
Mrs. Brodnan says the concept is two-fold – the exercise helps stimulate the brain, so students are more ready to learn once they get to class and it gives students something to look forward to when they come to school.
“It is so important for every student to feel welcomed and involved in school, and this is just another piece of the puzzle to make sure we do just that,” she says. “When students are physically active it allows other opportunities to arise, from making new friends and learning how to socialize, to reaching new fitness goals and developing new interests in different physical activities.
Third Grade Rocks
Third-graders in Barbara Tropf’s science classes have been learning about Earth and space science and decided to conduct an experiment to test their lessons recently. Each student brought in a rock from home and then spent a week examining and performing tests on the rocks to determine the rock’s unique characteristics.
The hardness tests started with scratch tests and culminated with a blow with a hammer. Students donned safety goggles and had two swings of a hammer to see if their rock would break. Some survived the hammer while others did not.
Students were able to use hand lenses and handheld microscopes to take close-up looks at their broken, or unbroken, rocks after the experiment to make a final determination on the specific characteristics.
Soccer Games to Benefit Toddler
The Cardinal varsity soccer team and the Middlefield rec league U-12 team are partnering to help crush cancer. On Oct. 10, the two teams are joining forces to raise awareness for cancer and help support Hunt Hawken, the toddler nephew of varsity soccer coach Mike Topalian, who is battling leukemia. Proceeds from T-shirt and wristband sales, raffles and concessions will all go to the Hawken family.
Both games will be played on Richard A. Moss Field at Cardinal High School. The U-12 game begins at 5 p.m. with the varsity game kicks off at 7 p.m.
Cardinal High School and soccer alumni Drew Mast and Kathryn Dhayer will be singing the national anthem. Fans are asked to wear orange for leukemia awareness or yellow for childhood cancer awareness.
Come to the games and support a great cause .
Free Community Wellness Rally
The Cardinal Local School District is inviting all members of the community to participate in its 2016 Wellness Rally. The free event will be held on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cardinal Middle School gym. CVS Middlefield will be on hand to give flu shots to those aged 7 and older; please bring one’s insurance card to be vaccinated.
Blood pressure screenings will also be available and more than a dozen health and wellness vendors will be set up to assist in creating and maintaining a wellness plan. Along with games and snacks, those who wear their favorite team’s attire will be entered into a drawing for a door prize.
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Fourth-graders hula hoop during exercise club before school starts at Jordak elementary and Cardinal intermediate schools. Gym teacher Sara Brodnan implemented the club as a way to help students have a more productive day in the classroom.
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Alongside teacher Barbara Tropf, third-grader Braiden L. dons safety goggles and uses a hammer to test the strength and characteristics of a rock. The experiment tied in with a recent lesson in earth and space science.
