Active Bodies – Active Minds!

Life at Parker is back at full swing, and our students returned from break invigorated and enthusiastic for the winter months to come. One way we stoke the fires for learning through these dark, colder months is with our Winter Fridays program.

Winter Fridays are a Parker tradition that keeps us grounded in the season while building on our physical education program and giving students the opportunity to get their wiggles out. Evidence suggests that an active learning environment with time for physical activity helps children learn better. Children need time to run around in order to learn and read. An active body truly does lead to an active mind!

With this in mind, our K-8th grade students today headed out to participate in a diverse range of physical activities. Choices included downhill skiing or snowboarding at Jiminy Peak in Hancock, MA, swimming at the East Greenbush YMCA, ice skating at Hudson Valley Community College, or hiking right here on our Parker campus. K-1 students who did not ski stayed on campus and, along with our PreK students, participated in a creative movement and yoga program with our own Katie Thornton.

Winter Fridays at Parker go a long way towards boosting morale during these gloomy winter months. Students get the chance to experience life sports in new groupings with different teachers, both growing and nurturing their sense of community. All the while, their activities foster learning, risk-taking, and a sense of adventure. So here at Parker we can truly say in earnest, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

Read the New York Times article that features Parker’s Winter Fridays by clicking on the photo below!