Wake-Up
Call
Morning gym
is energizing
middle school
students.
I
by Melissa Rayworth
t started at Harvard Medical School,
where researchers documented the
positive link between physical exercise
and improved brain function. That got
school districts around the country
thinking: What if students began their
day with a workout before the academic
day begins? Would they arrive in their
homerooms feeling a bit more energized
and focused than usual?
Administrators at Hampton Middle
School began discussing these ideas during
the fall 2013 semester, but they needed time
to decide how to make use of this research.
They created a pilot program to test the
theory, which was approved on Jan. 13 and
launched soon after.
Its design was modeled after a program at
Naperville High School in Illinois.
Here’s how it works: kids can opt to do a
gym class at “zero hour,” before the normal
school day starts.
In addition to getting exercise that will
hopefully fuel their brains and bodies
for the day ahead, they also get some
scheduling flexibility. Completing gym class
outside the normal school day means they
can spend their regular gym class period
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Photos by Adam Piscitelli
doing additional work in classes where they
may be struggling, or they can work with an
enrichment facilitator on subjects they want
to give extra attention. This allows them to
manage their time in a way that focuses on
their specific needs.
The program does require a commitment
from the families of the students. Moms and