Last spring at Meadowlark Elementary School, Playworks employees took over recess for one week. Office referrals at the school dropped to zero during that time. Over the next two weeks, with no Playworks coaches on the playground, referrals gradually returned to their usual levels illustrating the staggering effect Playworks can have on student behavior.
Meadowlark Elementary has signed on to be one of five schools in the Salt Lake City area which will be receiving Playworks Program Coordinators for the 2011/12 school year. Yesterday’s teacher training at the school revealed high levels of enthusiasm for the program.
“I like this… this is just so cool,” said one teacher as Executive Director Chris Conard began explaining the five components of the Playworks program.
Coach Jaime Pimsler will be implementing a recess program, class game times, an after school program (in coordination with Meadowlark’s existing extended education program), a leadership program for the oldest students at the school (Junior Coaches), and a school sports league which will be starting up this winter.
We wish her and the rest of the Salt Lake City program coordinators the best of luck in the coming school year.
