We’re a small school. We don’t even have a gym! But what we lack in facilities, we more than make up for in energy and spirit! So when we were looking for a way to ensure that everyone, and we mean everyone, got a little bit more physical activity every day, we came up with the idea of “Morning In Motion”! Every class, every morning, everybody joins in approximately five to ten minutes of moving to music right in their classroom. The music is upbeat and kid-friendly. Students from either the class or from our grade fives, lead the movement with stretches, bends, and aerobic dance moves! Some of the moves are pretty unique, complete with fancy names, but the goal is the same: to pump up everyone’s heart rate and mood. It is pretty hard to be in a funk when everyone is “busting a move” at 8:20 in the morning! And the results……students have said that they feel happier and fitter; retiring wallflowers are more confident; the student who comes to school each morning yawning and grumpy can’t help but perk up and smile; parents are offering to come and give Zumba and other dance instruction to our leaders; student tardiness is down; and a student with gross motor difficulties can now do jumping jacks! This is a case of a little bit going a long way! And our plans keep evolving. The next step is to video tape some of the new routines taught to our Morning In Motion leaders by community members and post them to our school website. When we first started, we worried that perhaps Morning In Motion might be skipped or omitted on a busy morning, but we need not have worried. Morning In Motion is so popular that it is never missed! Teachers find that their class is more focused and ready for the day after their Morning In Motion. For Kingsclear Consolidated, Morning in Motion is now an integral part of our morning opening ceremonies – O Canada, Announcements, and Morning In Motion!