Kids returning to Audubon Elementary School after a week off for snow might be a little sluggish in class this morning. But thanks to a new program called GoNoodle, there’s a solution to that. And if those kids come back overly excited from their extended snow vacation, GoNoodle can help burn off that energy to help them focus better. Audubon Elementary Principal Caleb York says the beauty of GoNoodle is it can be used right in the classroom.
The program is being made available for use in public and private elementary schools throughout Daviess County through a partnership between Passport Health Plan and Owensboro Health. GoNoodle is an interactive resource used in classrooms to increase students’ physical activity and improve their academic performance by using GoNoodle’s online physical activity breaks, or “brain breaks,” which make it easy for teachers to get kids moving inside the classroom to improve students’ behavior, focus, and engagement.
“Kids need movement. It’s great to see kids in the classroom dancing, moving, and laughing but covering content at the same time,” York said.
“Teaching children the importance of living active lives is critical to our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve,” says Owensboro Health President and CEO Philip Patterson. “We are proud to partner with Passport Health Plan to offer the GoNoodle program in our local elementary schools. This is a fantastic opportunity to start life-long healthy habits for generations to come.”
GoNoodle’s activities can be played on an interactive whiteboard, projector or computer screen. Since its launch in August 2013, more than 4 million kids have played GoNoodle physical activity breaks. Teachers can sign up for free at gonoodle.com.
A demonstration was held this morning (Monday, February 23rd) at Audubon Elementary School (300 Worthington Road.) “Part of the reason Audubon was chosen is because we are already using GoNoodle in our classrooms,” York said. “We’ve been using it since October when we first heard about it, but with the opportunity for free access through the grant from Passport and Owensboro Health, 15 of 20 classrooms at Audubon use GoNoodle regularly.”
