Let's Get Active

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This cornerstone begin in September 2015. The goals and ideas were developed by a group of 11 sixth grade leadership students. They were committed to offering more choices for students at recess. They begin with setting up a volleyball net for recess. This inspired many to learn the sport, and even gave some students the skills to join the recreation department volleyball team.

With our existing Gaga Ball pit they also wanted to offer a workshop for this game. The students needed reminders on how to play the game, and develop good sportsmanship skills. Student leadership scheduled workshops at the classes lunch recess. They trained each class on how to play the game at their lunch recess. When the training was complete, each class received a copy of the rules and a new gaga ball! As a follow-up, they also signed up at each upper grade recess to "referee" the game. This insured that each student was playing fairly and all were having fun. This last step became invaluable throughout the year!

In addition, we chalked the soccer field, and both baseball/softball/kickball fields. This took communication with the school district and maintenance came out and did it for us. The staff had the students help measure the field and mark the dimensions correctly. The parent/teacher associaltion has since purchased their own chalk marker. Next year student leadership will be able to touch up the lines in-between the regular field upkeep by the school district.

Student leadership also included a soccer tournament after the field was ready to use. Each upper grade class competed at lunch, and Mrs. Hansen's sixth grade class won! It was fun for all and again inspired many students to play soccer. The winning class got an ice cream party provided by our PTA, congratulations!

The final goal of this cornerstone was to bring a Hydration Station to Meiners Oaks School. This would be a place that students could fill up reusable water bottles and begin to reduce our plastic bottle waste. This was a wonderful effort by the whole school. We had a penny drive competition between all the classes. Not only did we raise money for one Hydration Station, we had enough money to buy another one! We also got the plumber and contractor to donate their time to install this much needed tool to keep all our students hydrated!