Students at Richfield Elementary took a break from conventional classroom instruction Tuesday to get pleasure from a special kind of training — one targeted on the outside and getting a much-needed sweat.

To assist rejoice World Health Day, the college partnered with Pfeiffer University to offer a slate of well being and sports-related actions for the scholars. The occasion has been happening for 14 years between the 2 colleges, excluding in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kindergarten by way of second-grade college students hung out at Pfeiffer’s athletic fields within the morning, rotating by way of sports activities stations together with soccer, lacrosse, tennis, volleyball and supreme Frisbee. Pfeiffer athletes and college students majoring in training led the stations.

Meanwhile, college students in third by way of fifth grade stayed at Richfield School to participate in different actions, together with hearth security (supplied by the Richfield Misenheimer Volunteer Fire Department), yoga, operating and studying about correct hand washing and staying coronary heart wholesome. Pfeiffer nursing college students helped with many of those actions.

In the afternoon, the 2 Richfield teams switched locations.

Richfield pupil Adalynn McKee makes an attempt to attain a purpose throughout Tuesday’s World Health Day occasion at Pfeiffer University.

“It means the world to me to have this partnership with Pfeiffer,” stated fifth-grade instructor Lauren Cody, a former Pfeiffer pupil who helped set up the occasion.

“It gets our students involved in our community and allows them to see a four-year university that is in our backyard,” she added.

The occasion gives the scholars a number of hours to loosen up and grasp with buddies.

“I love learning the new stuff,” second-grader Korie Salmon stated, noting she had already performed tennis, volleyball and lacrosse.

She added the occasion was her favourite day of the 12 months.

The college students additionally foster relationships with Pfeiffer college students whereas studying the worth of teamwork and getting launched to new sports activities, reminiscent of lacrosse.

“You’re still learning, you’re just learning in a different way,” stated Richfield curriculum coach Ann Miller. “It’s just wonderful.”

Richfield second grader Madelyn Bowers throws a Frisbee with instructor Cathy Rider trying on.

Melissa Smith, director of group engagement and dropout prevention for Stanly County Schools, talked about whereas core topics reminiscent of studying, math and science are essential to a pupil’s training, so is studying about well being and wellness.

“This is an opportunity for them to enhance their social skills, to be physically active and just to embrace the outdoors,” Smith stated.

Dawn Lucas, chair of Pfeiffer’s instructor training program and coordinator of the college’s well being and bodily training program, helped create the occasion greater than a decade in the past, when her youngsters had been college students at Richfield.

“I wanted a way to connect them and also get them engaged and moving,” she stated.

As helpful because the day is for the Richfield college students, it’s simply as invaluable for Pfeiffer college students, Lucas stated, because it gives perception into what will probably be like as soon as they develop into lecturers.

“The more practice that we can give them early on, the better they will be as teachers,” she stated.

Pfeiffer junior Alex Stancell spent her morning serving to college students find out about soccer, together with presiding over a number of capturing drills. She enjoys attending to know the children and introducing them to new sports activities.

“I like bringing them out of their comfort zone because they might not know what they want to do yet,” she stated.

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and acquired his Master’s in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He beforehand wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, the place lots of his tales on immigration and tradition had been printed in nationwide papers through the AP wire.

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